Malon's Quest
by illjwamh
Summary: Link has told Malon so many tales of his great adventures, and she longs to have one of her own. But is she in over her head?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Zelda characters, but if I did, let me assure you I would  
settle the whole timeline dispute once and for all! There are Three! Do you hear? Three!  
  
Author's Notes: Aahhhhh! I've broken my sacred creed and written a story outside of the   
anime section! The world will end! Truthfully, this will probably be the only thing I   
ever write for that isn't anime. When you think about it though, it is a Japanese game.  
I know, I'm reaching, but it works for me.  
  
  
  
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"And then Volvagia flew up to the ceiling and started hitting boulders to come falling   
back down. When he came back down, he was spewing fire everywhere! I took out mw   
hammer and bashed him on the head like Darunia told me to, but it only dazed him for a   
moment. He started to fly up to the ceiling of the cavern, again, so I jumped onto his   
back, and drew my sword. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into with that choice!   
He flew all over the place trying to throw me off! Then, just as he was going to dive   
down into the lava, I saw my chance. I thrust my sword right into the demon's back, and   
he let out a horrible screeching sound. I was flung off his back, and he flew around the   
ceiling, looking like he was writhing in agony. He came back down for a final attack, but   
I smashed him again with the hammer. A ripple of flames went through his entire body,   
and he collapsed on the rock. I drew my sword again and cut off his head, and that was   
the end of the dragon Volvagia."  
"Hooray!" Malon cheered. She loved it when Link told her stories of his adventures.   
"That's always been one of my favorites!" she said with a cheery smile.  
Link smiled back at her. No matter how many times he told her the tales of his   
journeys, she always wanted to hear more. There were only a few stories left that he   
hadn't told her yet. He had gotten quite good at storytelling. He was very dramatic,   
utilized pauses, and even made voices and gestures for different characters he'd   
encountered. He'd told her this particular story three times already.  
"You could probably tell it as well as me now, Malon," he laughed.  
"I don't think so," she laughed back. "I don't think I'll ever be as good a storyteller as   
you." She sighed and looked up at the stars. They were currently sitting on the roof of the   
barn at Lon Lon Ranch. "I wish I could go out on adventures like you, Link. I'd give   
anything to live the kind of stories you tell."  
Link chuckled in spite of himself. "Well believe me," he said. "I, for one, am glad that   
it's all over." It had been a year and a half since Link had defeated the evil Ganon, and   
peace was finally returning to the realm of Hyrule. The Hero of Time was getting some   
well-deserved time off, and enjoying it thoroughly. Of course, he always kept his skills   
sharp. He was a warrior at heart, and nothing could ever change that. However, lately he   
had been taking it easy more often. He would come and visit Malon at least four times a   
week, and every once in a while, the king would summon him to the palace for   
something. He would also travel around, and go find old friends that he had met on his   
quest. The visits with Malon were what he enjoyed most, though. He would come, and   
she would always be so happy to see him. She'd give him a big hug, and they'd joke   
around with each other and have fun all day. She always asked him to tell her one of his   
stories. He loved that part. He loved getting all involved with the tale, and he loved the   
way her face would light up when he told her of all the exciting things he had seen. He   
was glad he had decided not to go back to his original time. Zelda had offered to send   
him, but staying here meant Malon could share his memories with him. That was   
something he would never trade for anything.  
"What are you thinking about?" Malon's question popped him out of his daydream.  
"Oh, I was just thinking back to my travels, and how good it is to be able to finally   
rest."   
"Were you planning on staying here tonight?" she asked. "It's awfully late for you to   
try to get home."  
Link pondered for a moment. She knew as well as he did that he could simply warp   
himself home. However, spending the night might be fun. He hadn't stayed over in a   
while, and it would be a nice change. Besides, aside from Saria, whom he barely saw   
anymore, Malon was the only true, close friend he'd ever had.  
"Sure, I'll stay," he answered. "As long as it's okay."  
"Oh, it'll be fine," she told him. "Daddy won't mind at all."  
"Great! I guess we should head inside, then." He stood up, then reached down to pick   
up his sword and shield and placed them on his back.  
"Why do you still carry those things everywhere?" Malon asked him.  
"Well, you never know when I might need them. Besides, I've had them for so long,   
I'd feel naked if I didn't wear them." This caused Malon to giggle a little. "What, might I   
ask, is so funny?" Link asked sarcastically.  
"Oh, nothing," Malon responded and drifted her gaze off to the sky above.  
"Well, it's about time we got in," Link said. He pulled his hookshot off his belt with   
his left hand, and then wrapped his right arm around her waist. Then he turned his head to   
her. "Ready?"  
She smiled and nodded. She always loved this part. "Ready!"  
Link fired the hookshot across the gap between the buildings and it caught on the roof   
of the house. Then, with Malon in his arm, and her arms wrapped tightly around his   
chest, he jumped off the barn. He retracted the chain just enough so they could swing   
across the distance between the two buildings. When they reached the other side, links   
feet 'landed' on the side of the house just below the second floor. Then he dropped his   
feet from the wall, and retracted the chain some more, causing them to rise up the side of   
the building. Malon was giggling with delight the whole time. When they arrived at her   
window, they opened it and climbed in.  
"I'll never get tired of that!" Malon squealed happily.  
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Link said as he shot his hookshot back out the   
window. He was just about to fly out when Malon asked him a question.  
"Don't you ever sleep in a bed?" she laughed at him a little.  
Link just smiled. "Nope. I've gotten too used to sleeping outdoors. Beds are too weird   
for me."  
Malon just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Goodnight, then." She kissed him on the   
cheek. When she did, Link's eyes widened a bit. She didn't do that very often.  
"Good night," he finally said, and then pulled himself over to the roof of the barn.   
Malon watched him go, and decided to leave her window open for the fresh air. Plus, she   
could still talk to him if she wanted to. She went over and prepared herself for bed.  
  
Link lay on his back on the roof with his hands behind his head looking at the stars. It   
was true; Link had truly become a wandering warrior. He was only comfortable if he was   
sleeping outdoors, or in a cave, or something like that. The only 'bed' he would ever feel   
comfortable in at all was his own back in Kokiri Forest, and he hardly ever went back   
there anyway. His mind drifted off to thought about what he was going to do and where   
he was going to go the next day. Without thinking, he glanced down at Malon's room and   
sighed just before nodding off to sleep.  
  
Malon lay in her bed, dreaming of all the fantastic adventures Link had told her of.   
She wanted so much to have an adventure of her own! All she'd ever done was work on   
the ranch, and occasionally make deliveries to the palace, or to Kakariko. Worse, in the   
years of Ganondorf, Ingo had never allowed her to leave the ranch at all. She shuddered   
when she thought back to that. Under the influence of evil, Ingo had been a very cruel   
and frightening man. He would beat her, and the horses, and occasionally even try to take   
advantage of her. Remembering it reopened old wounds for her, but they were quickly   
healed again as she recalled the day Link saved her.  
  
Flashback mentality-Malon's POV  
  
He had come in the late morning, when Ingo was beating her for not feeding the   
cuccos right. He strode up the path, and when Ingo heard his footsteps, he threw her into   
the barn and warned her not to make a sound. While she was in there, she could vaguely   
make out what she thought was the sound of clanging armor or weapons. She looked out   
the window and saw Ingo talking to someone, but to whom she could not see. Whoever it   
was asked to buy some milk and food, and Ingo showed him inside the house. She then   
tried to sneak out of the stables so she could peek in the window without being noticed,   
and find out who their visitor was. No such luck. No sooner had she exited the stables,   
Ingo came right back out the door. He wasn't happy at all. He raised his arm to strike her,   
and she cringed for the blow but it never came. She looked back up to find a young man   
in a green tunic holding Ingo's wrist, a stern expression on his face.  
"That's no way to treat a lady," the boy said. Then he looked at her, his expression   
changed to one of kindness and compassion. His eyes seemed so familiar to her   
somehow. "Are you all right, Miss?" he asked her.  
She nodded weakly in her astonishment and choked out, "Yes, thank you."  
The boy then turned back to Ingo and retook his serious demeanor. "The real reason I   
am here," he said, "I need a horse."  
Ingo told him that he could look around, but Malon knew he had no intention of   
letting the boy buy a horse. The walked of toward the corral, and Ingo shot her a glare   
that meant she had better get back into the stables. She obeyed. Also, she wasn't sure, but   
she could've sworn the young man winked at her.  
After a minute, she crept up to the window facing the corral so she could watch the   
boy. She couldn't get over how familiar he looked.   
The boy was riding one of the horses, and he was really good! It was as if he had been   
doing this his whole life! He then got off and looked around for a minute. She couldn't   
see what he did next, because Ingo looked back and she had to duck to avoid being seen.   
When she got back up, however, she was amazed at what she saw. That boy was riding   
Epona! How he had tamed her she didn't know, but she was definitely intrigued. She   
cracked the window a bit in order to try and hear what was going on. Ingo was   
challenging him to a race! He put a steep bet on it, too. The boy accepted, and they got   
ready to race. Malon watched the whole thing, silently cheering for the strange boy.   
When he won, she clapped softly and smiled, while Ingo was furious! He called a   
rematch, saying that if the boy won again, he could keep Epona! Malon was shocked. She   
thought about never seeing her favorite horse again, but she also knew that Ingo had been   
planning to give her to Ganondorf. She didn't want that, so she hoped against hope that   
the boy would win, and free her friend.  
The race was a close one, and Malon looked on anxiously. When the boy won again,   
she let out a small cheer. However, what happened next was not good. Ingo closed the   
gates, saying he would never let the boy leave. Malon gasped, but the boy did not seem   
worried at all. He reared back on Epona, and charged straight for the gate. With a mighty   
leap, they were over, and Ingo's mouth was on the ground! Without even thinking of the   
consequences, Malon rushed outside to meet this mysterious stranger. When she got   
outside, he looked down at her and smiled. All he said to her was,  
"I'll be back tomorrow with a surprise. And don't worry about him," he indicated   
Ingo, "He won't touch you if he knows what's good for him." With that, he rode out of   
the ranch, and waved to her as he left.  
The next day, around noon, he came back as promised. But there was someone else   
with him. It was. . .  
"Father!?" Malon ran to her father who jumped down off the horse to greet her. She   
gave him a huge hug, then turned to the boy. He was leaning against Epona with his arms   
crossed and a smirk on his face.  
"Thank you so much!" she said to him. "But please, won't you tell me who you are?"  
The boy let out a little chuckle to accompany his smirk. "Come on, Malon. Don't tell   
me you don't recognize me. I even gave you an extra day to think about it."  
Her eyes went wide. "Fairy boy!?" He simply nodded and Navi flew out from under   
his hat. She ran to him and hugged him. "Oh, Link! Where did you go? I thought you   
were dead!" He laughed at that.  
"I can't be gotten rid of that easily." He then explained to her his quest, and said that   
he would come back to see her again, but now he had to go. She wished him good luck,   
and just like that, he was on his way again. He would come back to visit occasionally,   
and would always bring a little present for her, But he could never stay. With his quest   
always looming, he would tear off to distant lands, leaving her to pray for his safety. But   
then the one day came that ended it all. He defeated Ganondorf, and saved all of Hyrule,   
just as he had saved her.  
  
End Flashback  
  
She thought again of all his marvelous adventures and how wonderful it would be to   
have one of her own. Then she got a fabulous idea. She sat up quickly, then slowly got   
out of bed and walked over to her window. She put her elbow on the windowsill and   
leaned her head on her hand. She looked out at him asleep on the roof and sighed.   
'I'll ask him first thing tomorrow,' she decided, then went back to her bed and went to   
sleep.  
  
  
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So what do you think? Should I give up on this and stick to anime? Tell me what you think,  
but I have to warn you, I'm going to finish THIS story at least, whether you like it or not.  
I hope you do like it, so I have a reason to write more. So long for now! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own them, and if that surprises you, then I'm sorry to tell you that   
you're stupid.  
  
Author's Notes: Hee hee hee! I slacked off from work today, and while I was inside, I got   
this done! I usually don't release two chapters at once, but this was needed because I   
don't think the first chapter can stand on its own. It had to be separate, though, 'cuz I   
wanted the ending how it was. Anyway, I'm tired of this now, so. . .  
  
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Malon's Quest-Chapter 2  
  
Malon was out in the corral with Link the next morning, and he was playing his   
ocarina for the horses. She knew this was as good a time as ever to ask him, so she came   
up next to him, and just spit it out.  
"Link, can you teach me to fight?"  
"What?" Link abruptly stopped playing, but his tone suggested he hadn't entirely   
heard her question.  
"I asked if you could teach me to fight," she repeated.  
"Why do you want that?" he inquired curiously.  
"Well," she began, "You get to travel all over the world, and see so many things. I   
want to go out and have an adventure, too. I know that I'd be a lot safer out there if I   
could defend myself."  
Link was totally caught off guard. He always knew Malon had a wild spirit, but this   
was still something he never expected. He thought for a moment, and then looked at her   
with a weird smile.  
"Sure, I'll teach you," he said. "But only because I know you'd go out anyway if I   
didn't, and then you'd get hurt or killed, and it would be my fault." She responded with a   
proud grin.  
"You're right, you know. But I think you just can't bring yourself to deny me   
anything," she joked.  
"Don't flatter yourself," Link quipped back. "I'm doing this for your own safety, as   
well as that of my conscience. Personally, I don't think the idea of you trekking out on   
your own is a good idea, but if you're dead set upon it, I want you to be able to take care   
of yourself."  
"I'm surprised you didn't insist on coming with me," she said.  
"Oh, I'll be keeping an eye on you, I promise you that. But you know full well you   
wouldn't want me around all the time."  
  
So they continued until the late morning, when Link reluctantly went off to town to   
get her a sword and shield. He still wasn't crazy about the idea, but he knew she would   
never let it go.  
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Malon was skipping around in elation. She was so   
excited! Finally, she would get a chance to travel the world on her own, and see all the   
wonderful people and things that Link had told her about!   
In all actuality, it would've been great to have Link go with her. She would've   
enjoyed traveling with him, and who knows? Maybe he could introduce her to some of   
his powerful friends? Deep down though, she knew he had been right. This journey had   
to be her own. What kind of adventure would it be if he were there to do everything for   
her? She smiled warmly at knowing he was planning on looking out for her, though.   
Besides, he was always traveling, so their paths would occasionally cross, right?  
  
It would take a few days for Link to get to town and back, so she just continued on   
with her normal chores. Talon had sent Ingo on an errand to Kakariko, so it was just she   
and her father. She waited and waited for Link to return, and on the fourth day after he   
left, around noon, she heard a horse approaching the ranch. He was back! She started to   
run out to the front of the ranch, but then she stopped. That wasn't a horse, that was   
several horses. She crept back to where her father was standing by the barn. Apparently   
he heard it too, and was just as curious as she was.  
The two of them stood there, and all of a sudden without warning, a half-dozen men   
came galloping up the path and stopped three feet in front of them. All the men had   
weapons, ranging from swords to maces and axes. Also, she had initially miscounted.   
There were nine of them.  
The big man in the front who was obviously the leader pointed at Talon. "You the one   
in charge around here?" he demanded.  
"Yes, I am Talon, and this is Lon Lon Ranch."  
"Well, it's no anymore," the man said. "Now it's our headquarters. So you two better   
get out of here."  
"Now wait just a minute!" talon stepped forward.  
"Oh, a smart guy, huh?" The big man looked back at one of his cohorts. "Sinjo, I think   
this guy needs to be taught what happens to people who don't do what we tell them to."  
The outlaw named Sinjo grinned a wicked grin, and before Talon could respond, he   
had a whip wrapped around his neck.  
"Stop it!" Malon pleaded. "You're choking him!"   
Sinjo laughed. "That's the idea." Then he jumped off his horse, and still keeping a   
tight grip on the whip, walked over to Talon and kicked him in the stomach.   
The force caused Talon to fly backwards, the whip jerking his head before releasing,   
and then he hit his head on the corner of a crate, knocking him out cold. Malon screamed.  
"He should've done what he was told," the leader said coldly. "As for you. . .What   
should we do with a pretty girl like this, boys?"  
All the men eyed her and licked their lips. Malon was horrified. She slowly started to   
back away.   
"And just where do you think you're going? The leader asked in a suggestive voice.   
"A beautiful girl like you belongs in my bed." He trotted his horse over and grabbed her   
arm, causing her to scream again. "Don't worry, a few drops of my special potion, and   
you'll love to do anything I ask." At this, Malon started to cry. This man was going to   
take away her own free will, and turn her into a slave, and make her love him! He was   
just about to grab her other arm when they heard a yelp from the back of the group. They   
turned around to see one of the bandits pulled off his horse, and go flying backward   
into—  
"LINK!" Malon cheered with joy as he saw Link, retracting his hookshot, which he   
had used to pull the man off his horse. He had an extremely angry look on his face. He   
jumped down off Epona, and glared daggers at the man gripping Malon.  
"Who the hell are you?" the leader demanded.  
"I'm the last person in the world you would want to see right now," Link answered   
him. The coldness in his voice made Malon shiver. She had never seen Link like this   
before.  
The outlaw leader however, laughed. "Right. Boys, take care of this kid, will you?"  
"Gladly," one of them replied. They all slid off their horses and started walking over   
to Link, who calmly drew his sword and shield. The first two men rushed him, and he   
casually blocked their attacks, and then rammed them with his shield. The next one came,   
and his mace handle shattered upon contact with Link's sword. A backhanded shield   
blow was enough to take him out. The rest charged him, and were defeated in the same   
manner. Then it was only Sinjo and the leader.  
"Sinjo, hold onto this girl for me. I want to handle this punk myself."  
"Sure thing, Onak," Sinjo replied.  
Onak got down off his horse and drew his sword and shield. Then he slowly walked   
toward Link.  
"You're pretty cocky, you know that, kid? I'm gonna teach you a lesson once and for   
all." Link's face still didn't change. Onak charged at Link, and their battle began. Onak   
was putting both his sword and shield to their full use, while Link held his shield down to   
one side, never moving it. After a while, Onak started to realize that this wasn't going   
anywhere. When their swords clanged again, they sprang back from each other. Onak   
started to chuckle an evil chuckle.  
"You're good kid, but not good enough. I've learned a few tricks in my lifetime." He   
held his hand above his head, and a yellow ball of energy started to form. Link just   
looked at it without blinking. "Time to die, kid!" Onak yelled, then threw the ball at Link.   
Moving nothing but his left arm, Link hit the ball with his sword, bouncing it back at   
Onak, who was too shocked to react. The ball hit the outlaw in the face, knocking him   
onto his back.  
"Ganondorf tried that same trick," Link said, a hint of mocking in his voice. Onak   
stood up slowly, finally realizing whom he was facing. "His were stronger, though. Now   
let me show you something I learned on my travels." Link put his open palm in front of   
him, then balled it into a fist and raised it into the air, then brought it down quickly with a   
chant of some word in another tongue. Immediately, a wall of fire made its way over to   
Onak, burning him badly.  
Onak, now in a mad panic, picked up his sword and charged directly at Link. For the   
first time, Link raised his shield and blocked the attack. Then he looked into the eyes of   
the villain, the coldness returning to his gaze.   
"You deserve much worse for what you tried to do to Malon, and for what you did to   
her father." With that, Link thrust his sword into the stomach of the outlaw, who then fell   
to the ground.  
Link turned his icy gaze to Sinjo, who still had a hold of Malon. Sinjo looked back, a   
tiny smirk present on his face.  
"Come on, men!" he said. "Let's get going! And don't forget to bring the fat man   
along with us!" the men grumbled and got to their feet.  
Link couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What makes you think you can get away   
with that?" he demanded.  
"Because," Sinjo replied simply, "I know you'll be busy trying to catch her." With one   
swift motion, Sinjo released Malon, turned around, opened his palm toward her, and   
suddenly she was flying upward and backward through the air, as if a giant gust of wind   
had blown her away.  
"Link!!"  
"Malon!!" he ran down the path, and into the racetrack after her, but she was a good   
twenty yards up by now.  
Sinjo, meanwhile, was walking casually back to his horse while the rest of the men   
gathered up Talon. He looked apathetically down at his dead former leader.  
"Well Onak, I guess this means I'm in charge, now. It's better anyway. I always was a   
better fighter than you." He mounted his horse, and he and his men rode out of the ranch,   
back to wherever it was they came from.  
  
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Chapter two: done! It gets better, I promise. Meanwhile, I have something to say. I know   
there are some Malon+Link fics out there, but a lot of them end up making Zelda look   
like the bad guy, or have a lot of OOC behavior, etc. So I set, here and now, a challenge. I   
challenge you Zelda writers out there to write a good Malon+Link story. No vilifying the   
poor princess, and no OOC. This will be especially hard for you supporters of   
Zelda+Link. Are you up for it? Any of you who think you can do it, go for it! I want to   
see what you guys can come up with.  
  
  
P.S. If you're thinking that Link was a little OOC near the end, think about it for a   
moment. This guy was going to rob Malon of her innocence, and practically killed Talon.   
Plus, he used one of Ganondorf's techniques--that can't be a good sign.  



	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own a copy of Ocarina of Time, but that's it. None of the characters from it   
are mine. Sinjo and Onak however, are.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I thought about it, and thought about it some more, then I ate   
lunch, then I thought about it again. Here it is, after going through many revisions in my   
head, though none on paper. Chapter 3, the most infamous chapter for any story.   
Actually, I don't know where the hell I got that, I just made it up. Did you know that 57%   
of all statistics are made up on the spot? Anyway, I hope you like chapter three, and if   
you're not a Link/Malon fan, then what the hell are you doing here!? Get out if you don't   
like it. If you review or e-mail me saying my story sucked, I will simply laugh at what a   
flaming idiot you are.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Malon's Quest - Chapter Three  
  
"MALON!"  
"Link, help me!"  
Link ran as fast as he could, but Malon was still flying up and away from him. He   
reached into his belt and pulled out his hookshot. Still running, he took careful aim, and   
shot the chain toward her.  
'Please be long enough,' Link pleaded in his mind. No such luck. The chain stopped   
and retracted before even getting close to Malon. Now he was really in trouble, for she   
had begun to fall back down! And, from the speed she was flying backward, she was   
going to land outside of the ranch! Link knew he had to think of something quickly, for   
the fall would definitely kill her. Even he would not escape a plummet from that altitude   
without serious injury.  
Continuing to run, Link whistled for Epona. His faithful horse trotted up alongside   
him, and he mounted her (A/N: Get your heads out of the gutter!) and took off at a gallop   
toward the quickly descending Malon.  
  
Poor Malon was terrified beyond belief! She could see Link on Epona trying his best   
to save her, but there was no way he would make it in time! She looked down, and saw   
that she was going to land on the other side of the wall that surrounded the ranch. That   
meant at least another twenty feet to the ground, and that alone would be enough to put   
her into a splint, and confine her to a bed for months.   
Malon started to cry. She was going to die! And there was nothing she, nor even Link   
could do about it! She opened her eyes one last time to see what looked like a strange   
blue light flying toward her.  
  
There was no time left, and Link could only think of one idea. 'Oh please work,' he   
prayed. He took out his bow and one arrow, an ice arrow. He took careful aim, and shot it   
straight at where Malon would be when it got there. He then told Epona to run as hard as   
she could, and jump over the wall.  
  
As it approached her, she got very cold. Then, without warning, she was suddenly   
encased in ice! She could still see, and through her frozen buffer she saw Link and Epona   
fly over the ranch wall and land in the field. Then she hit the ground, and all went black.  
She was apparently only unconscious for a few seconds, for when she next looked, she   
could see Epona stopping in front of her, and Link jumping off and landing right next to   
her. He did the same hand motions he had done when he fought Onak, and a wall of   
flame came out from him, and thawed her icy confinement away. She was as cold as she   
had ever been in her life, but she was alive!  
  
As the last of the ice melted away, Link quickly picked up the shivering girl and   
hugged her tight, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her up.  
"Oh, Link!" She cried as he held her. "I was so scared!"  
"Shh," he soothed. "It's okay. Everything's all right now."  
"Thank you so much," she whispered in his ear.  
The two of them stood there for a minute until Link said, "We have to get you back to   
the house to warm you up. You'll freeze out here." So he put her on Epona, then climbed   
on behind her, and they rode back to the ranch.  
  
"I'm still cold, Link," Malon said as she lay in her bed with a fire going and three   
blankets on top of her.  
"Well, it was a magic arrow, so I imagine the effects will last a while," Link said.  
"How long?" she was still shivering, and she felt like crying.  
"I don't honestly know," he answered. Then he got an idea. "I don't want you to take   
this the wrong way, but the best way to stay warm is from body heat."  
She look up at him, and couldn't help but feel on cloud nine at what he was   
suggesting. She knew how he felt about beds, but he was willing to do this, for her!  
"You don't have to," she said. "I know you can't stand beds."  
"Nonsense," he replied. "You need to get warm, that's all that matters to me right   
now. I won't hear another word about it." And with that, he removed his sword, his   
shield, and his boots, and climbed into bed next to her. He was, to say the least, a little   
uncomfortable, but he didn't care about that at the moment. She snuggled up to him, and   
the rolled over as he wrapped his arms around her so she was spooned up to him. He   
could feel her shivering less already, and although she still felt cold to the touch, he knew   
she was at least comfortable now.  
"Link?" she whispered.  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you for saving me."  
"Don't mention it," he said softly.  
She giggled just a bit. "You actually save me twice today!"  
He laughed faintly as well, and then scowled as he remembered what Onak was going   
to do to her.  
"Malon, if anybody, ever, tries to do that to you again, I swear they'll end up just like   
that creep."  
She squeezed his hand. "Thank you. And thanks for trying to save my dad, too." A   
hint of sadness was in her voice as she said this, and Link noticed.  
"I'll get him back for you," he said.  
"You will!?" she turned her head around to look him in the eye, and when she saw the   
sincerity there, she smiled.   
"I want to come with you," she whispered. Very softly, because she was only an inch   
or so from his face.  
"No way," he replied in the same manner. "It's too dangerous. And you're not going   
to stay here alone, either. Before I head off after Sinjo, I'm taking you to Gerudo valley.   
You'll be safe there; they'll look after you. Even Sinjo isn't crazy enough to attack the   
Gerudos."  
"You say it's not safe for me to come, yet you're leaving me with the GERUDOS?"  
"Don't worry. They'll look after you as a favor to me. They're actually pretty nice."  
"Humph." She turned her head back around. "I still want to go with you."  
"Hey, I'm only looking out for you. I want you to be safe."  
This made her smile in spite of herself. She snuggled her head up under Link's chin,   
and with a happy sigh, she was asleep.  
Link rested his head on top of hers. Her hair was so soft. He would keep his promise   
to her. He would find talon, and he would bring him back to her. He then thought about   
the Gerudos. They were very good friends of his, and would definitely take car of her if   
he asked them to. Heck, knowing her wild spirit, she would probably end up as one of   
them!  
Still trying to get used to the unusual feeling of the bed, Link finally managed to get to   
sleep, his arms still around Malon.  
  
Malon awoke before the sun rose, just as she had planned to. She eased out of Link's   
embrace, and stood up next to the bed. She smiled down at him.   
"I'm sorry Link," she whispered. "But I have to do this. And after you slept in a bed   
just for me, too." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Goodbye."  
She went downstairs, got some food, as well as the sword and shield Link had brought   
her and forgotten about. She then went out and got Epona.  
"Shh, be quiet now, girl." She spoke to the horse to calm her down. "We've got to get   
going."  
Epona neighed quietly.  
"No, Link's not coming," Malon told the horse. "I hate the idea of splitting you two   
up, but I have to do this on my own. Don't worry, we'll see him again soon." This   
seemed to be enough for Epona, for she allowed Malon to climb on, and the two of them   
left the ranch silently in the morning darkness.  
Link woke up and had to think about where he was for a second. When he   
remembered, he wondered where Malon was. He looked out the window.  
'It's morning,' he thought as he saw the sunlight pouring in. 'She must be up already.   
Doesn't that girl ever rest? Oh well, I guess I'd better let her enjoy her last day at home   
before I take her to the valley. He got up and stretched. His back was very uncomfortable,   
as were his legs.  
"I hate beds," he grumbled. He then went downstairs to see what Malon was doing.   
Only, when he got there, she wasn't around.  
'She must be outside,' he thought. So he went out the door to find her.  
"Malon!?" he called out to her. "Malon, where are you?" He looked around, but didn't   
see her. 'Maybe she's in with the horses,' he thought. He went in to check. He looked   
around, and went over to where Epona was always tied up, only Epona wasn't there.   
Link's eyes went wide. "She wouldn't!" He ran out of the stables, across the path and   
back into the house. He looked over to where he had discarded the weapons he had   
brought for her after the incident yesterday. They were gone too.  
"No, NO!" Link was near panic now. He tore back outside and ran all the way to the   
exit of the ranch and into Hyrule Field. There was nobody around.   
"MALON!" Link fell to his knees. She had gone off on her own! She had no idea   
what was in store for her out there! And without his horse, he would never be able to   
catch up with her!  
His horse! That was it! Link drew his ocarina out of its pouch and brought it to his   
lips. He played Epona's song, but nothing happened. Just as the horse could hear the song   
from any distance, Link could always hear her response as a sign that she was on her   
way. This time, silence. And that meant, they weren't coming back.  
Link's face fell. He had to do something, but what? He ran back to the house and   
gathered his supplies. He threw them on, and then ran back out into the field without even   
thinking twice.  
  
***************************************************************************************  
  
And that concludes today's exciting episode of The Legend of Zelda: Malon's Quest.   
Tune in next time for more heart pounding action, and perhaps more romance? Wait and   
see.  



	4. Chapter IV

Disclaimer: Does anyone out there actually think that I DO own the rights to Zelda? If so,   
please come forward so you can be shot.  
  
Author's Notes: Nothing for today, except this: Remember boys and girls, in order for   
this story to make sense, we have to pretend that Majora's Mask never happened. Easy   
enough? Okay then, let's continue, shall we? When last we left our hero, he was just   
leaving Lon Lon ranch in pursuit of Malon. When last we left our heroine, she was, well,   
gone.  
  
  
Malon's Quest-Chapter Four. . .by Illjwamh  
  
Malon rode as fast as she could across Hyrule Field. The sun was coming up, and she   
knew Link would be waking up around this time. She felt horrible about leaving him   
behind, but this was something she had to do on her own. She just wished there had been   
time for him to show her how to use the weapons he had brought her. She would just   
have to learn on her own.  
Just then, Malon heard a familiar tune. Apparently riding Epona allowed one to hear   
the song played on Link's ocarina just as the horse could. Epona's ears perked up and she   
started to raise her head for a reply, but Malon prevented it.  
"Sorry, girl," she said to the horse. "You can't answer him. I promise I'll get you back   
to him as soon as I can, but for now you have to forget about him, okay?"  
Epona seemed to understand, because she lowered her head and continued galloping   
through the field. It was going to be a long day.  
  
It had been only a few minutes since Link had set out from the ranch, but it was   
already long behind him. He was running so fast that he almost collapsed from   
exhaustion. He took only a moment to catch his breath, and then started off again at a   
more reasonable pace. The only trouble was, he had no idea where he was going. He   
hadn't a clue which direction Malon headed off in, he could only assume she went in the   
general direction they saw the thieves leaving in the previous day. Also, he would never   
be able to catch up with Epona on foot.  
After resting a second time, Link realized this and came up with a new plan. If he   
wasn't fast enough as he was, then he would have to become faster. And there was only   
one way he could think of to do that. So when he began running again, it was not in the   
direction he believed Malon to be going in, but rather a bit to the south, toward Gerudo   
Valley. Only there could he acquire what was needed to catch up with Malon.  
  
"Let's take a break, okay Epona?" It was beyond midday now, and Malon still could   
see nothing but open field in all directions. She never expected it to be this big. By the   
way Link talked about journeying from one land to another, she'd figured she'd be able   
to get to the edge of the field in one day.  
"I guess it's gong to take a little longer," she thought out loud. "I hope I can find this   
hideout. Link never told me about it, so does that mean even he doesn't know where it is?   
Maybe I can find somebody and ask them, but where am I going to find anybody way out   
here?" She continued to wonder as she ate her lunch, which was very meager indeed. She   
wanted to conserve as much food as possible. When she was finished, she got back on   
Epona and the two set off once again.  
As the sun began to go down that evening, Malon began to get worried. She could see   
the cliffs that were the western border of the field, but they were still a long way off.   
There was no way she would make it there before dark. Deciding to rest for the night and   
pick up her journey the next day, she found a tall tree and dismounted. After a short time   
she had built a fire, and fed herself and Epona. The sun had gone down, but she still   
couldn't sleep. Many things were weighing on her mind. First, of course, was Sinjo. She   
was worried about what he might do to her father. Second, she was worried about what   
might come out in the field after dark. She wasn't really afraid, more just nervous about   
the unknown. Third, she was worried about Link. Now that she had stopped for the night,   
he could catch up with her. He had gone many nights without sleeping before, and if he   
traveled all night then he would surely catch up to her by morning.  
If he did come, then all was lost. He would take her to the Gerudos, and her chance to   
avenge her father on her own would be gone. Worse however, was that she would have to   
face him after betraying his trust and leaving without telling him. She'd felt guilty about   
it all day, and she didn't think she could deal with him just yet.   
After what felt like an hour, she decided to get up and gather some more wood. The   
whole field seemed eerily silent except for her soft footsteps. Then, all of a sudden, she   
heard a loud, lurching noise. She turned around and to her horror, saw two undead   
creatures walking toward her.   
  
Link continued his run to the valley. His sword was drawn and he slew the stalchilds   
as he ran. He didn't even need to think about it anymore. He had battled these ancient   
warrior spirits so many times that it had almost become routine. Besides, they only ever   
came out two at a time, so what was the worry? His only concern right now was getting   
to the valley and then finding Malon.  
  
Malon screamed. She saw the two skeleton-like things coming at her, and she couldn't   
think what to do. Then, she remembered that she had a sword. She drew it out, and   
dropped its front to the ground as soon as she held it out. It was insanely heavy! She   
could barely lift it, even with two hands, and that meant that she could not use her shield.  
"I don't understand," she groaned as she managed to lift up the sword and hold it in   
front of her. "This isn't any bigger than Link's, so why can't I lift it? He makes it look so   
easy!" Growing up on a farm, she had always been in good physical shape, but this   
moment made her appreciate how strong Link really was.  
As the creatures approached her, Malon began to sweat nervously. 'Now how do I use   
this thing?' she thought. Making up her mind to just wing it, she lifted the sword high   
with all her might, Closed her eyes, and brought it down on the first creature that came to   
her. She felt the weapon make contact, and when she opened her eyes, the creature's head   
was cut clean off! . . .But it was still attacking her. She managed to dodge a blind swipe   
of its hand, and she swung the sword at it again. This time, it cut the creature through the   
middle, and it fell apart and collapsed to the ground.  
Malon would have been tremendously pleased with herself, and for a quick instant she   
was, until she remembered that there was another of these things just a few steps away   
from her. She turned to face it, all fear temporarily gone in a surge of adrenaline, and   
brought her sword up again. This time, she made two quick swipes. The first cut off the   
creature's head, and the second hit it in the middle and caused it to fall apart like the first   
one.   
Malon let out an exhausted sigh. She fell to the ground, still clutching the handle of   
her sword, and tried to catch her breath. She soon decided she'd best return to her   
campsite, in case more of these things showed up.   
'Great,' she thought as she stood up. 'Now that's just one more thing to be afraid of.'  
She started to walk off, and as she did, she heard the same sound as before. She turned   
around and screamed again. There were three this time, and one was right behind her!  
  
As yet another stalchild fell before him, Link heard a familiar rumbling sound behind   
him. He turned around, and as he'd expected, came face to face with a big stalchild.   
These required a bit more time and effort to kill. It figured, as time was something he   
currently had very little of.  
"Why now?" he asked aloud. "Why can't you just let me travel in peace?" he yelled at   
the creature slowly walking toward him. He raised his sword and shield and prepared for   
battle.  
  
Malon was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide with fear. No matter how many   
of these things she killed, more just kept popping up! Two more were coming at her at   
this very moment, and she no longer had the strength to lift her sword.  
"I don't believe it!" she whimpered. "This is it! This is the end of my journey! I   
haven't even been gone one day!" She now was wishing that Link was here, that he had   
followed her and just now caught up, and was going to slay these evil monsters and save   
her.  
"I should've listened to you, Link! I shouldn't have left without you!" She fell to her   
knees, and just as a bony hand reached up to strike her, she heard the neighing of a horse,   
and looked up to see Epona trample her assailant. The horse looked down at her, and   
understanding immediately, she climbed on. They rode over the other monster, and   
Epona took her back to the campsite.  
Hopping down, she let out a sigh of relief. She looked around, and didn't see any more   
monsters. She sighed again, and then took a few steps over to the tree to put down her   
things. She jumped when Epona neighed a warning, but it was too late! Another skeleton   
creature popped out of the ground in front of her! She shrieked, and pulled up her sword   
out of reflex. It cut through the demon, slaying it. She looked down at its remains, and   
she understood. Her footsteps summoned these creatures! That was why she had never   
encountered them before, because whenever she had been in the field at night, she'd   
stayed on the road where footsteps were nearly silent.  
She grinned for the first time since sundown. "You won't be catching me off guard   
anymore," she said. She then sat down right where she was and sprawled out on the   
ground, intent on finally getting some sleep.  
  
Link blocked another attack with his shield, and then lashed out with his sword,   
lopping the stalchild's right arm off.  
"HA!" he taunted. "Let's see if you can get me with one arm!" As if taking him up on   
the challenge, the stalchild swung out his left arm, only to have it be sliced off as well.  
"Now I've got you!" Link said. He took a mighty swing, and slashed the beast through   
the midsection, causing it to fall apart.  
'I'd better take a break for a minute,' Link thought. 'I don't want to tire myself out.'   
So he waited for a short time, and then started off again. When he did, as expected, more   
stalchilds rose from the ground. Unexpected however, was the great number of them.   
There were at least fifteen of the things, and they al were coming at him.  
"What's this!?" Link exclaimed. "You're only supposed to come out two at a time!"   
He held up his sword and shield, and prepared to fend them off. They came at him, and   
he slew them one after another. But to his great dismay, their numbers weren't   
decreasing. Quite to the contrary, in fact. For every stalchild he defeated, two more rose   
up to challenge him.  
"This is crazy!" he shouted. For the first time in years, he was actually beginning to   
experience fear. It was a strange emotion; he had almost forgotten what it was like. He   
looked around him, and saw stalchilds in every direction. They were advancing on him,   
and there was no way he could defeat them all. He was just about to give up hope, when   
he spotted a tall tree off to his left. Quick as a flash, he put his sword and shield away,   
whipped out his hookshot and pulled himself up onto the highest limb. As soon as his feet   
were planted, he put his hookshot away, jumped backward out of the tree, flipped once,   
and landed nimbly on his feet. He was quite a distance from the group of stalchilds, who   
were already turning toward him.   
Being extremely careful not to move his feet, he reached behind him and pulled out   
his magic scroll that the Sheikah Impa had given to him all those years ago. On it was a   
small picture of every item he'd ever carried in his journey, with the exceptions of the   
ones he always held at hand. He moved his finger until it was over the picture of his   
boomerang, something he had not used in a long time. He held his finger over the picture   
and concentrated, and soon the boomerang appeared in his hand. He rolled up the scroll   
and put it back under his belt underneath his shield, and held his boomerang high over his   
head.  
"They say throwing one of these things is just like riding a horse," he mumbled to   
himself. "Once you learn how, you never forget. Let's just hope they're right."   
He reached back, and then let fly with his trusty old weapon. Its trajectory was perfect,   
and it went right into the group of stalchilds, cutting the heads off a good number of   
them. It spun around, and he caught it neatly in his hand.  
"That wasn't so hard," Link said. "Now I just have to do it a couple more times." So   
he attacked three more times with his boomerang, until all the stalchilds were without   
head. He'd even managed to destroy some of them. He put his boomerang back in its   
place by touching it to its picture on the scroll, and then began to make his way toward   
the clueless group of warrior spirits. He walked slowly and on tiptoe so as not to summon   
more of them, and he took out his sword and began slashing them down. It took a while,   
since there were a lot of them, and he pretty much had to wait for them to find their way   
to him, but finally he had defeated them all. He dropped to the ground, exhausted.  
"What happened, I wonder?" he asked himself after a minute or so of catching his   
breath. "They've never come in such large numbers before. What were. . ." his eyes shot   
open and he sat bolt upright when a realization hit him. "Malon!" She was in the field   
too, and she wouldn't know how to fight these things! He stood, and after only a   
moment's hesitation, he took off at a run once again. This time however, he didn't hear   
anything.   
'Are they all gone?' Link wondered, not really believing that such a thing was   
possible. 'Maybe I scared them off.' He shook his head. That was even more unlikely   
than his last idea. He finally decided not to question his good fortune, and keep going. It   
was hard to run because he was so worn out, but he made himself do it. He had to help   
Malon. Off in the distance, he could see the stone walls of the field that surrounded the   
entrance to the valley. With luck, he could be there by late morning. He jumped over a   
rock that was in his path, and when he landed he heard a very unpleasant noise. He turned   
around and to his horror, looked up at his latest challenge, towering over him just a few   
yards away.  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
Not much happened in this chapter, huh? Well, it gets better. Can you guess what Link   
has to fight now? If you don't find it painfully obvious, then you weren't paying   
attention. I've got chapter 5 half written already, and I promise it won't take as long as   
this one did. Last but not least, I'd like to think that I've put to rest the debate over  
where Link holds all of his stuff.  



	5. Chapter the Fifth

Disclaimer: You know the drill. These people, places and things are not mine.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Whew! I apologize profusely for the incredibly long wait, but with all that's been happening, I never seemed to find time to write. Combine that with the lack of motivation from FF.net's recent down time, as well as the fact that school is getting really tough, and you've got your explanation. Anyway, chapter five is finally here. And it's a doozy.  
  
  
  
Malon's Quest- Chapter 5.by Illjwamh  
  
Link stared up at the behemoth, the giant stalchild that stood before him. Normally, this would not be a big deal for him. However, he was so exhausted that one tiny mistake would be the end of him. He drew his sword and his shield, and stood ready for the beast to attack him. When it didn't, he decided to make the first move. He lunged at it with his sword, but in his current state he was slower than usual, and the thing managed to dodge. As he went by, it hit him on the back with a large, bony bludgeon of a hand.  
  
* * *  
  
Malon lay on her back with her hands behind her head, gazing at the stars. She could see why Link loved to sleep outdoors, it truly was beautiful. The only thing wrong was that she couldn't quite seem to get comfortable. No matter what Link said, she would always prefer a bed to the cold, hard ground.  
  
Resolving to keep her mind off of that subject, she refocused her gaze on the stars and let her mind wander to thoughts of Link's adventures. He'd once told her about a time when he found a secret cave under the field, and it had tunnels going off in all directions. She wondered if she would discover anything on her quest, something that she could tell him about someday. Without even realizing it, she started to drift off to sleep, still thinking of all the wonderful things yet to come.  
  
* * *  
  
"That should hold you!" Link yelled at the stalchild. He had finally succeeded in cutting one of its legs off. "Now for the other one!" As he prepared to attack, it swung out a massive arm. Rather than block with his shield, Link used his sword, which cut the creature's arm off. Link smiled. "Finally!" One massive, clean strike through its midsection was all that was necessary to finish it for good. When it fell apart, Link collapsed to the ground, exhausted. He fell asleep within seconds.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Malon woke up to a beautiful sunrise. After a quick breakfast, she woke up Epona and climbed on. The two of them resumed their journey toward the edge of the field. They could see the river in the distance.  
  
"We should be there in about a half hour or so," Malon said. "Do you think you can swim across with me on your back, Epona?" The horsed neighed and nodded its head in response. "Then let's get moving!" Malon said.  
  
She was correct in her estimation, for it took them only a half hour to reach the eastern bank of the river. It wasn't very wide, so it wouldn't take them very long to cross.  
  
"Are you ready, girl?" Malon asked. She got another affirmative nod. "Let's go, then." They prepared to jump into the flow of water, but were interrupted.  
  
"Well, well, well. Looky what we've got here." The sound of the voice made Malon shiver, for she knew all too well who it was. She turned around slowly and to her horror, saw just what she had been expecting: Sinjo on his horse with four other riders accompanying him.  
  
* * *  
  
"Almost there," Link said to himself. The battle with the giant stalchild had slowed him down, not to mention the fact that he went to sleep. So when he woke up, he quickly ate and set off running with renewed energy. He'd been doing just that all morning. After a few more minutes, he finally reached the fork in the road that would lead him through the large stone canyons into Gerudo Valley. Taking the west fork, he continued up the path.  
  
'It really has been a while since I've been here,' he thought to himself as he crossed the little brook. 'When this is all over, I have to bring Malon back here and show her that it isn't such a bad place.'  
  
When he reached the end of his thoughts, he had arrived at the bridge that crossed the river gorge. Jogging across it, he entered the builders' camp. It was much larger than it had been in the days of Ganondorf. It was almost a miniature village. He didn't even bother to meet up with his old friends, and barely responded to people who greeted him. He had a specific tent he was headed for, and he would not stop for anything until he got there.  
  
* * *  
  
"What do you think she's doing, Sinjo?" one of the men asked. The black clad leader laughed eagerly.  
  
"I'd say she was trying to get her father back." He pointed to her back. "Look! She brought weapons! Were you planning on fighting us?" Malon couldn't move or speak. She was frozen with fear.  
  
"Let me take care of her," one of the men said. He hopped off his horse and started walking toward her.  
  
"Wait!" called Sinjo, holding up a hand. "That's a nice horse. I'd like to keep it." Two of his other men nodded, and pulled things out of their belts that looked like poor imitations of Link's hookshot. They both fired at the same time, and little nets shot out, ensnaring Epona. Fortunately for Malon, Epona reared and threw her off before she became entangled herself. That's when Malon got her speech back.  
  
"You leave her alone!" She shouted. Sinjo just smirked.  
  
"Or else what? I must say, you don't look very threatening down there." Malon stood up, still shaking, and slowly drew her sword.  
  
"Look!" one man said. "She is going to try to fight!" All the men had a good laugh, that is until Sinjo silenced them with a wave of his hand.  
  
"That's enough," he said. "We have things to do, and we need to get this horse back to the hideout."  
  
"What about the girl?" asked the henchman who'd started to attack her earlier.  
  
"As much as I hate to deny you the pleasure of killing her, Dingard," Sinjo said, "We don't have the time. I'll let the river finish her off for us." He held up his hand as he had done back at the ranch, and once again Malon found herself flying backwards. This time it was straight back, however, and she fell into the rushing water. She heard the men laugh tauntingly and ride off before she was swept downstream, all the while keeping a tight grip on her sword. If she survived the river, she would definitely need it later on.  
  
* * *  
  
Link entered the tent he was headed for, only to find it empty. He cursed, and then dashed back outside and stopped the first carpenter he saw.  
  
"Excuse me, do you know where Gilu is?" Link asked.  
  
"What? You mean that guy who's always running all over the place?" Link nodded. "Yeah, he's always out at this time, but he should be back in, oh." he looked at the sky, "Actually, he should be back any minute."  
  
"Great," Link said. "I'll just go inside and wait for him, then." So he entered Gilu's tent once more and sat down to wait.  
  
* * *  
  
Malon tried as best she could to fight the current, but it was simply too strong for her. And from the roaring sound that was continually getting louder, she knew she was headed for a large waterfall. After the incident at the ranch, Malon was terrified of falling, and she knew in the back of her head that there was no way to survive one like this.  
  
Her mind raced, trying to think of any possible way she could save herself. That's when she noticed the heavy weight still on her back. Her shield! She'd forgotten about it since she couldn't hold it at the same time as her sword. If she could somehow get to it.  
  
With great difficulty, she managed to put her sword back into its sheath.  
  
"Now for the hard part," she said to herself. She unstrapped the shield and maneuvered so she was holding it in front of her, just as she saw the edge of the waterfall. She closed her eyes tight.  
  
"I hope this works." Working against the water flowing rapidly all around her, she positioned herself so that she was kneeling on the inner part of her shield, holding it in place. Then she went over.  
  
Her eyes went wide and her heart stopped as she saw just how long the fall was. Worse yet, going over the edge had turned her, so she was now descending sideways! The shield would offer no protection like that, and she only had a few seconds to adjust her fall. It seemed impossible, for the shield was catching the air, and turning in any direction didn't appear to be an option. She kept at it, though, and at the last possible second she found herself upright. A sharp pain rattled her knees and lower legs, and water splashed up all around her.  
  
* * *  
  
"Where is he?" Link asked out loud as he stood up abruptly. He had been waiting for Gilu for over ten minutes, and the runner had yet to return home. Just as Link was about to go outside and inquire again as to the athlete's whereabouts, he heard footsteps approaching the tent. "Finally," Link breathed out in a sigh of relief.  
  
Gilu entered his tent as casually as he ever would, but he jumped when he found someone already there.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded. His eyes eyed the intruder warily.  
  
"You don't remember me?" the stranger laughed. Gilu took a closer look.  
  
"Kid?" Link nodded. "Link, it is you!" He smiled and embraced his old friend. "But what are you doing here? Fancy another race?" Link shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, not this time old friend. I need to ask you a favor." Gilu arched an eyebrow.  
  
"A favor?" Link nodded again.  
  
"I need to borrow your boots."  
  
"My boot?" Gilu asked, confused. "Why? There's nothing special about them." He looked down at hi feet, but Link shook his head.  
  
"Not those boots," he said. "I need to borrow your other boots." Gilu looked shocked for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.  
  
"How do you know about those?" he asked.  
  
"I've been all over this land," Link replied. "There isn't a lot in it that I don't know about." Gilu chuckled in astonishment.  
  
"Huh? Well Whaddya know?" He asked no one in particular. He then turned his attention back to Link. "Yeah, I guess you can use them." He walked over to the back of his tent and picked up a small, locked box that Link had previously not noticed. "I don't really need them anymore anyway. They were just for when I was starting out. Besides, any boost I need I can get from that bunny hood you sold me. Do you remember that?" He brought the box over to Link.  
  
"Yeah, I remember. You sure were excited about it." The two men laughed slightly as they remembered old times.  
  
"Well anyway," Gilu said, opening the box, "Her you go. Just take care of them. I want them back in one piece." He reached into the box and pulled out a beautifully made pair of boots. The design was nearly identical to Link's boots, but they were of a more golden brown leather, and seemed to give off a faint glow.  
  
"The Light Boots," Gilu stated. "Guaranteed to make you run faster, and tire slower. I hope you put them to good use."  
  
"Oh, I will," Link assured him as he took the gift. "And I want you to hang on to these for me," he said, removing his own boots and handing them to Gilu. "Consider them to be collateral." Gilu laughed.  
  
"These things for my Light Boots? Are you serious?"  
  
"You bet I am," Link said. "Those Kokiri Boots are the toughest in the world. They can last through anything. I wouldn't trade them in for all the desert's gold."  
  
"Okay, then," Gilu said. "I'll take good care of them. You just be careful out there, all right? I want you to be able to come back for them." Link just laughed.  
  
"When have you ever known me to not come back from anything?" he joked. Then he put on his new boots. He was glad Gilu didn't ask any questions about why he needed them.  
  
"You're right," Gilu said. "Well, you'd better be going I bet, right?" Link nodded. "I'll be seeing you, then."  
  
"So long for now," Link said. "And thank you." He gave a slight bow, and then turned around and walked out the door. As soon as he was outside, he took off at a run. With the Light Boots on, he was out of sight in under a minute.  
  
Gilu reentered his tent after waving goodbye to his friend and sat down.  
  
"That kid's so fast anyway," he thought aloud. "I wonder what he could possibly need those for?"  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
  
Whoa! How long has it been? No, seriously, I lost track! I apologize profusely for the long wait, but as I explained above, there were extenuating circumstances. Hopefully the next chapter won't take half as long. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: No longer necessary.

Author's Notes: Does anyone even remember me around here? Good God, I'm so behind that even Roseanne says my ass is huge. Seriously though, I just couldn't get this one out. I thought, pondered, deliberated, contemplated and thought some more, but nothing came. Plus, my computer went down for a month just as I was finishing it! Bummer! So after months of waiting, here it is: The sixth installment to this riveting tale.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          

     Link took off from the camp as fast as he could go. He'd seen the light boots in action only once before, but even he was surprised at how well they worked. Now that he could travel faster, he had a better chance of catching up with Malon, even without Epona. The only problem was, he didn't have the slightest idea of where to start. He thought about it for a minute, and then came to the decision of stopping by the castle to ask for help. With any luck, maybe one of the scouts or something had seen either Malon or Sinjo. All he needed was a fresh lead.

*          *          *

     Malon coughed and sputtered; doing her best to expel the water she had unwillingly inhaled in her landing. Her knees hurt something awful, and she was as wet as a fish, but at least she was alive. The only problem she faced now was where to go from here. She could continue down the river to the lake, but that would be another dead end. However, it seemed better than the alternative, which as of right now was staring her in the face, sort of.

     Just a small distance ahead of her, Malon could see a ledge of sorts in the cliff face that was about even with the water level. On this ledge she also saw, this made her tremble, a Gerudo warrior.

     She tried her best to steer away from the small shore, but the current was too strong and she was too weak from her recent ordeal. As she approached the Gerudo, she could see that the warrior wore a seemingly sinister smirk on her face. This sent Malon into a panic, and she doubled her efforts to paddle away. 

     It proved futile however, as the Gerudo simply reached out with her glaive, hooked it onto Malon's shield, and pulled her in. The situation appeared hopeless, and Malon gave up trying to fight, saving what little strength she had remaining, lest she need it later.

     "Well, look what the leever dragged in," said the Gerudo as she pulled Malon up onto the shore. Had the young farm girl not been petrified, she would've noticed what a helpful action it was. 

     "Please, leave me alone," Malon managed to choke out. The Gerudo chuckled.

     "You don't look fit to be left alone, girl. Why I'm willing to bet, if I hadn't pulled you out of that river, you'd have been deed by nightfall." Malon just gaped at the woman addressing her in disbelief. Then, the Gerudo caught sight of the sword and shield.

     "Well, not as helpless as we may seem, are we?" she said sardonically. "Why don't I take you up to the fortress where you can rest up, heh?"

     "You mean...you're going to help me?" Malon asked.

     "Sure, why not? Once you're up to full strength again, then we'll decide what to do with you."

     Malon wasn't sure she liked the sound of that last part, but she accepted the Gerudo's outstretched hand and allowed the stranger to pull her up.

     "Come on, it's getting dark already," said the thief. "By the way, what's your name?"

     "My name is Malon," answered the farm girl.

     "I'm Deruna," said the Gerudo. "You don't have to call me anything special, 'cuz from the looks of it, you're about as old as me."

     Malon took a second look. They _were_ about the same age. Based on her first impression, Malon would've placed this woman in her late twenties. She also noticed that Deruna was smiling at her, a friendlier smile than the smirks she'd seen earlier.

     "How do we get up from here?" Malon asked. Deruna grinned.

     "Like this." She led Malon over to the cliff wall, and placed her hand on a stone jutting outward.

     "I can trust you with this I think," she said, "But I should warn you anyway that if you tell anyone about this, we'll have to kill you." She obviously wasn't joking, so after a gulp Malon nodded weakly. Then she watched Deruna press on the stone, and a door opened up in the cliff face. Inside was a very steep, very dark stone staircase.

     As Deruna led her up the staircase, Malon looked at the walls of the tunnel. They were carved out of the heavy rock of the cliff face, and had small torches mounted on them every twenty steps or so for light. The stairs were a bit uneven, so Malon had to take care not to trip. She'd lost all sense of time and distance by the time Deruna announced they had arrived. The Gerudo pushed aside a trap door and led the farm girl out of the tunnel. She the replaced the trap door, which Malon now saw was actually a crate. She made care to put it in line with the others, and then turned to Malon.

     "Welcome to our hideout," Deruna said. She gestured with a hand and Malon looked up to the most spectacular thing she'd ever seen. Before her was a huge stone fortress, completely carved out of the cliff face. Gerudos stood here and there with glaives, obviously on guard duty. She simply stood there in awe at the structure until Deruna called her attention.

     "Come on inside, and I'll get you something to eat," she said. Malon couldn't hide the amazement in her voice.

     "Wow," she said. "Link told me this place was huge, but I _never_ thought—"

     "You know Link!?" Deruna cut her off, noticeably surprised. Malon didn't really think it was such a big deal.

     "Yes, I've known him since I was ten," she said. Deruna's jaw nearly hit the ground. She remained frozen for a moment, and then shook her head to clear it.

     "Forget food," she said. "Let's take you to meet Sarina."

     "Who's that?" Malon asked.

     "She's in charge of this fortress, our second in command after the great Nabooru. She's the one who allowed Link to become one of us."

     "Link's a Gerudo?" Malon asked. "He never told me that. He just said he was a good friend of yours." Deruna laughed.

     "He's a good friend all right. He's one of the greatest of us there is, and he's done more for us than you'll ever know. As for him not telling you, that doesn't surprise me much. It's not something you go spreading around." With that, she beckoned Malon to follow her into the fortress to meet Sarina.

*          *          *

     Link ran through Hyrule field at a speed so great that he appeared as almost a blur to anyone he passed. It had been nearly half a day since he'd borrowed the Light Boots from his friend Gilu, and he was now passing Lon Lon Ranch. After glancing once at the ranch and considering it for a moment, he decided to stop there and look for any clue he could find.

     Upon entering the ranch, he found everything as he had left it, and an eerie silence hung in the air. He'd never heard the place this quiet before. Then it hit him. He couldn't hear the horses! He ran to the stables, and when he burst through the door he gasped to find that his prediction had been verified. The horses were all gone, and he could see the footprints of many men in the dirt on the floor. The thieves had been back! They'd stolen all the horses, and probably a few other things as well. As Link let all of this sink in, another thought struck him.

     "How did they know we weren't here?" he asked aloud. His eyes shot wide when the answer came. "They've found Malon!" Without another word or thought, he tore out of the ranch as fast as his feet could carry him. On his way out, he quickly checked to see if there was a trail he could follow, but the tracks went off in too many different directions. He resolved to continue his trip to the castle, only now he was doubly sure that he would need their help in finding Sinjo. He only hoped he could make it to town before sunset.

*          *          *

     "In here," Deruna said, gesturing to a door that had two Gerudos standing guard outside of it. "This is Sarina's room." The two guards stepped aside and allowed them to enter.

     "Who is that with you, Deruna?" came a youthful, pretty sounding voice from the other end of the room. Malon couldn't see the speaker, for that half of the room was hidden in shadow by curtains hung from the ceiling.

     "This is Malon," Deruna said simply. "She washed up on the cliff bank out of the river. I think she needs help."

     "Well certainly," came the voice again. This time, the one speaking stepped out of the shadows and into their sight. She was a beautiful young woman who could not have been a day over twenty, and the way she conducted herself when she spoke, not to mention the sweet, genuine smile on her face, made her look kind and sensitive. Not at all what Malon was expecting from the master of a guild of thieves.

     "Since she's a close acquaintance with one of our own, I figured it would be okay," Deruna continued. Sarina smiled warmly at this.

     "Oh? To which of our guild is she an acquaintance?" The way she asked the question made it sound like she already knew the answer, but Malon wasn't sure.

     "Link," Deruna stated proudly, as if just mentioning his name was a big deal.

     "Ah, Link!" said Sarina fondly. "I haven't seen him in such a long time! How is that handsome young man?"

     "I'm not sure," Malon replied, hanging her head. "He's probably searching for me."

     "Well, don't worry about him," Sarina said. That guy can take care of himself. He'll be fine, and I'll bet he finds you, to. That's what he does." Sarina's speech had suddenly become much less formal, Malon noticed.

     "As for you," the guild master continued, "How'd you like to become one of us?" Malon looked shocked, as did Deruna.

     "Are you serious?" she asked.

     "Sure! Any friend of Link's is a friend of mine! Besides, you've even got the right hair color! You'll fit right in!" The idea at first sounded like a bad one, but the more Malon thought about it, the more it sounded like the perfect plan. If she became a Gerudo, then she would get the training she needed, and maybe even appease her adventurous spirit. Most of all though, it would give her the means to find her father.

     "That would be wonderful," she said after a long pause. Sarina smiled.

      "Great!" exclaimed Sarina.  "I see you have a sword and shield. Do you know how to use them?" 

     "Not really," Malon admitted. "Link was going to show me how, but he never got a chance. I can use the sword well enough to protect me against those demon things in the field, though." Sarina looked somewhat impressed.

     "If you can defend yourself against a stalchild with no formal training, then there's hope for you. Why don't you wait in here while I go have the girls make up a chamber for you?"

     "Okay."

     Sarina exited, and Deruna followed her. As soon as the door closed, Deruna turned to her leader.

     "What are you doing?" she demanded in the most respectful tone she could muster. "You can't just go letting outsiders into the clan!"

     "Link was an outsider, wasn't he?" Sarina retorted calmly.

     "Link is one thing, this is different. First of all, she's not of Gerudo birth, so what's to stop her from having a male child? And second, she has no fighting experience except one night in the field! I like her too, and I think she's a nice girl, but aren't you taking it a step far?"

     Sarina responded with a touch of irritation in her voice. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you," she said, "However, you bring up a good point and I guess I should tell you why I'm doing this." Deruna listened closely. "I received a message from Nabooru," said the guild master. "She told me that Link had contacted her and asked if we would watch over this girl for him. She said it would be all right, and then started watching the girl herself through her mirror until he brought her here. Unfortunately, she ran away and wants to go rescue her father from a band of rogues. Since she's not going to back down, I figure the best way for us to help her is to teach her how to do that. Understand?" Deruna nodded.

     "Well I'm going to look after her," said Deruna. "For the most part there shouldn't be a problem, but some of the girls can be pretty mean to a rookie sometimes, and the fact that she's an outsider might add to that." Sarina smiled.

     "I figured you'd feel that way. I was going to ask you if you didn't volunteer." With that, Deruna and Sarina reentered the room, but not before Sarina sent off one of the guards to set up a room for Malon.

     "You're in," said Sarina to the farm girl, and held out a tattered piece of parchment with a small jewel on top. "Here's your membership card. Now before I give this to you, I want you to understand that this is permanent. Once you're one of us, you're one of us forever. Do you still want it?"

     Malon paused for a moment and then nodded.

     "All right then. Do as I tell you. Take the card in your right hand, and pinch the jewel between your finger and your thumb." Malon did as she was told, and the jewel began to give off a faint glow. "Now, pull up your left sleeve, and slap the card down on your upper left arm, just under your shoulder. Make sure the jewel is on the top."  Malon did this, and squinted as a bright light shone from where she just slapped the card. A searing pain went through her, like she was being burned or perhaps branded, but it vanished quickly. When everything faded back down, Malon looked to find that the card had been transferred onto her skin, like a tattoo. It was definitely permanent.

     "Welcome to the Gerudos," cheered Deruna.

*          *          *

     Link ran up to the castle tow just as they were retracting the drawbridge for the night. Not having any time to spare, Link pulled out his hookshot, and pulled himself over the gate.

Ha! I'm finished, finally! I bet a few of you had to go back to remember what happened, huh? Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, in the next chapter, Malon's training begins! Don't miss it! 


	7. Chapter #7

Author's Notes: Ah, the true epic. No one knows how long it will be, not even me! I do have the ending in mind, but I have no idea how I'm going to get there. That's the best part: letting the story unwind and develop. I continue to appreciate your feedback, and any suggestions will be welcome. I'm not saying I'll do everything or even anything you say, but it's always nice to get ideas, and it's nice to see where you think the story should be going. And how about Malon joining the Gerudos, eh? Think she can handle it? Wait and see.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Link flew over the rising drawbridge and dropped down onto the street below on the other side. The shock of his landing traveled up through his legs a little bit, as his new boots were meant for speed and not durability and shock absorption as his old ones had been. He recovered after only a few seconds and looked around. The guard posted outside of the guardhouse had started to move toward him, but stopped as soon as he saw who it was he was charging. This guard had come to know Link fairly well over the years.

     "What might you be doing here, Master Link?" asked the guard. "And in such a hurry?"

     "I don't have time to explain, Orgei," Link said. "I need to speak with the princess immediately." The old guard's eyes bugged out a tad in shock.

     "Trouble, Master Link?" he asked.

     "I'm afraid so. I need the princess' help. Please tell me, is she at the castle?"

     "I believe she is, young master," said Orgei. "She'll be pleased to see you for certain, but not so much when she hears what you have to say I imagine, eh?"

     "I'm hoping that with the princess' help this trouble will be over with," replied Link. "Thank you, Orgei." He gave a small wave good-bye and took off for Hyrule Castle. Dusk had fully arrived and light was becoming quite scarce.

     "My word, that boy is running faster than I've ever seen him," Orgei remarked. "Whatever it is he's here about, it must be very important."

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *

     "And in here is where you'll be staying," Deruna said, leading Malon into a small chamber with two stone beds protruding from the walls on either side, and a small wooden table in the center with a lit torch basket on it.

     "These are my quarters, and as our newest member, they are no yours as well," Deruna continued. "I hope it is comfortable for you."

     "After sleeping in the field, anything seems comfortable," Malon replied. Deruna chuckled.

     "I can see that you're quite tired," Deruna said. "I suggest you get some sleep, because your training will begin tomorrow at dawn."

     "What will I be trained in?" Malon asked as she slid back the blanket on her new bed. She didn't have any clothes other than what she was wearing to sleep in, but she really didn't mind.

     "Many things, including combat and stealth, but you must learn the basics first." Deruna noticed that getting into bed wearing her clothes, and remembered something.

     "Oh!" she said. "Don't go to sleep like that, it must be terribly uncomfortable! Here, I was supposed to give you this." She produced a small bundle and tossed it to Malon, who was quite impressed. She hadn't seen Deruna carrying or holding anything, and she certainly hadn't picked it up from anywhere. Where had she been hiding it? And more importantly…

     "What is it?"

     "It is a set of night garments for you. I think you'll find them preferable to what you're wearing now."

     Malon looked at the bundle in her hand. The fabric looked and felt like a mix of cotton and silk, and was a bright violet color, much like the clothes that most of the Gerudos wore during the day. She unfolded the fabric and found it to be a loose-fitting pair of short pants and a loose fitting shirt. She undressed and then tried on her new garments. She was shocked to find that the pants only went to mid-thigh and the shirt only went down to her navel and the sleeves just barely went beyond her shoulders.

     "My goodness!" Malon exclaimed. "This is the least amount of clothing I've ever worn! It's almost scandalous! I can only imagine what would happen if Link or my father ever saw me like this!" She looked up at Deruna, who was now dressed in the same manner as she and was sporting a wide smirk.

     "That is why we wear them only at night in the privacy of our quarters, where only those whom we chose to see us can do so." Looking at Deruna, Malon instantly understood how the Gerudos continually and successfully seduced young men from Castle Town and Kakariko Village. 

     "And I have a feeling Link will be seeing you like that eventually anyway," Deruna teased.

     "And what is that supposed to mean?" demanded Malon. She tried her best to look angry, but she couldn't cover the enormous blush that had crept onto her face.

     "Nothing at all," laughed the Gerudo. "Let's get to sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." She climbed under her blanket and pulled it over herself, and Malon did the same. She was still a deep shade of scarlet, but she couldn't help wondering. What _would_ Link's reaction be if he were to see her like this? She tried to imagine the look on his face, and as she drifted off to sleep a blissful smile drew its way across her own.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *

     Link entered the castle, and after a brief word with one of the guards, was escorted to the princess' chamber. The guard knocked once, and Link could hear Zelda's reply from the other side of the huge wooden door.

     "Yes, what is it?" 

     "Your highness, Master Link has come to see you. He claims it is urgent."

     The door burst open and there stood Zelda in her long, pink nightdress. The guard averted his eyes.

     "What is it?" Zelda asked Link. She sounded almost in a panic.

     "I need your help, princess," Link said. "A band of thieves has ransacked Lon Lon Ranch, kidnapped Talon, and Malon has disappeared. I can only assume she's gone after them. The leader of the group was a sorcerer." Zelda brought her hand to her mouth in a short gasp. 

     "I was hoping you could help me find out who they are, or at least help me find Malon," Link said. Zelda took a moment to regain her composure.

     "Yes, of course," she said. Then she turned to the guard. "Thank you, you may return to your post now." The guard marched off and Zelda invited Link into her chamber and closed the door behind her.

     "Thanks, Zel," he Link said when she turned back around to face him. Now that the guard was gone, formalities were no longer necessary.

     "So tell me what happened," Zelda began, returning to sit on her rather large bed. "Everything."

     Link recounted to her the events at the ranch, and what had happened to Malon, and how he'd barely managed to save her. Zelda interrupted him when he got to the part about warming Malon up again.

     "You've never offered to sleep in a bed with _me_," she teased. Link turned red.

     "Well…" he stammered, "She was frozen…and it was night out…and…"

     "I was just kidding," Zelda giggled. "I'm sorry. Please continue."

     So Link finished his tale, all about finding Malon gone and chasing after her, and the swarms of stalchilds in the field, and finally getting the Light Boots and coming to the castle. When he was all finished, Zelda looked more than a little worried.

     "That's horrible!" She exclaimed. "And you say she's all on her own?" Link nodded gravely.

     "And I don't like the sound of all those stalchilds, either," she added. "Where did they all come from?"

     "I'm more worried about Malon running into a group of them," Link replied. Just then, Zelda stood up suddenly, slightly startling him.

     "Well something definitely has to be done," she said. "I'll send some soldiers out to try and find this band of thieves, and I'll go down to the royal archives to try and discover where this sorcerer got his power from, and where these stalchilds are coming from."

     "And what do you suggest I do?" Link asked, sounding almost annoyed that she'd left him out of her plan.

     "I know exactly what you should do," she answered, "But I'm not going to tell you tonight." He started to object, but she continued right through him. "Because you'll go off right now like the headstrong hero that you are, when anyone can see that you desperately need sleep. You're going to stay here for the night, and we'll start in the morning. And don't try to change my mind, because it's made up." She crossed her arms to emphasize her point. Link knew better than to try to argue. The princess could be very stubborn when she wanted to be. When she saw that he wasn't going to put up a fight, she smiled and nodded.

     "I can give you the guest room across the hall," she offered, "Unless of course you _would_ like to share a bed with me," she added mischievously.  Link turned red again.

     "No thank you," he said, regaining his air of calmness. "I prefer the floor. I'll sleep in here also, if you don't mind. I might as well bolster your less-than-adequate security while I'm here."

     Zelda couldn't help but smile. Even though she obviously didn't need it, Link always insisted on protecting her whenever he was around. And ever since he'd managed to sneak in to see her without difficulty as a child, he hadn't had much respect for castle security.

     "Very well," she consented. "But I want you to promise me that you'll sleep. You'll be no help to anyone if you're exhausted."

     "I promise," said Link, albeit reluctantly. He stretched out on the floor, and she climbed into bed, using her powers to blow out the torch on the wall. When they woke up, they would have a lot to do.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Malon woke up to the sound of Deruna calling her name. She looked about her, and found that their small chamber was barely illuminated. Deruna had been serious about getting up at dawn. She blinked a few times, and then let out a good yawn. This seemed to amuse Deruna.

     "I let you sleep in a little because it's your first day of training, and you've had a rough time the last few days," said the experienced thief. "Besides, I figure that working on a farm has taught you how to get up early. Now come on, I've gotten you something to wear."

     She threw another bundle at Malon, and the farm girl caught it and inspected it. It appeared to be made of the same material as her sleeping garments, and was the same color. Upon further inspection, Malon saw that it was the same uniform that most of the Gerudos wore around; indeed the one Deruna was wearing at that very moment. Complete with vest; but it was missing something…

     "You don't have a veil yet, because it's dangerous to wear them when you first start training. You'll get one later. Oh, and one more thing. Until Sarina says otherwise, this is what you wear at all times unless you're sleeping or…you know." Malon blushed. "Once you've mastered your skills enough, you can wear what you please. But don't expect that to happen too quick. Only Sarina and four others here have earned the right to their own wardrobe."

     "Wow." Malon said. That was all she could make herself say at that time.

     Deruna noticed that Malon still had a bit of a blush on her face, and when she realized why, she blushed herself.

     "Oh! I don't want you to think that we…" she made an awkward gesture with her hands, "you know…all the time. I've never done it, and neither have a lot of the others." She was speaking rather nervously. 

     "I'd like to someday, though…"she said dreamily, trailing off. "What I mean is, the rule about clothes doesn't keep you from doing that…if you wanted…I just wanted to let you know that…"

     "It's okay," Malon assured her, "I understand." Deruna let out a sigh of relief. 

     "Well, get dressed then, and we can start your training. After a few hours, we can have breakfast, okay?"

     "Okay." Malon got dressed, and followed Deruna out behind the fortress to a large, open area that she hadn't noticed before. There were wooden poles sticking out of the ground here and there, and there were crates arranged as seats, outlining a circular area which was obviously where she was headed. Other than that, it was sand all around, until the cliffs back in the distance.

     "This is our basic training ground," Deruna explained. "Everyone comes through here first. Well, almost everyone. Link was the only one to ever skip this and move right on to the main training grounds. But aside from him, you'll be going through the same training as everyone else. Except that they all start when they're thirteen, so they've got a six year head star on you."

     Malon's eyes went wide. "You've been training for six years?" Deruna nodded.

     "Mm-hmm. I only spent about half a year or so here, though."

     "Wow…"

     They were cut off as another Gerudo approached them from the fortress.

     "Hello!" The new arrival called. She appeared a few years older than Deruna, and like all Gerudos, she was stunningly beautiful. Even Malon had to admit that all of these women were near perfectly built.

     "Ah, good, she's here," Deruna said. The new arrival trotted up next to them. "Malon, this is Mara. She'll be training you."

     "Pleased to meet you" Malon greeted politely. 

     "Likewise," Mara replied in kind. "Let's see what you've got, eh? See those poles out there?" Malon nodded. "I want you to run five full laps around the circle, weaving in and out of those poles. Don't touch them, or they'll fall over. I'll time you. Are you ready?" Malon nodded again. "Then GO!" Malon took off as fast as she could go, and began weaving through the poles, careful not to touch any of them.

     Meanwhile, Mara turned to Deruna. She was anxious to learn more about her new student.

     "So what do you think of her?" she asked Deruna.

     "She's a nice girl, that's for sure," the other answered. "And she's got spirit. I don't know, I guess we'll have to wait and see how she takes to the training."

     "You said she knows Link?" Mara asked.

     "That's what she said," Deruna replied. "And I'm willing to believe her."

     "Well, with any luck, he's taught her a thing or two over the years." They were interrupted as Malon skidded to a halt in front of them, not even out of breath. 

     "Finished!" she proudly declared. Mara's and Deruna's eyebrows both shot up.

     "Already?" Mara questioned. Malon nodded. "Five laps?" Malon nodded again. "Incredible," Mara reflected. She'd been keeping time in her head throughout the conversation. "That was only two minutes and seventeen seconds! That's the fastest anyone has ever gone on their first run by far! Granted you are a bit older than most first time students, but that's still a record by a fairly wide margin. I suppose all years working on the farm have kept you in shape, eh?" Malon smiled and nodded proudly again, pleased that she had done so well. It hadn't even seemed that hard.

     "Well, let's see what else you're good at. Deruna, give her a glaive."

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Zelda awoke to the sound of Link giving the guards orders. Apparently he'd gathered quite a few of them in the hallway outside her door. She stood up, and used a spell to change from her nightdress into her royal dress. She usually dressed herself, as such petty spells were a waste and a flaunting of power, but Link was obviously getting impatient. She walked over to the partially open door and gracefully strode through it.

     "…And make sure to report back anything unusual that you find," she heard Link finish his speech to the soldiers.

     "Yes, Master Link," they all said. Then, they saw her.

     "Oh, good morning your highness," greeted the captain. "Master Link here was just informing us of the situation."

     "I surmised as much," she responded, throwing a sarcastic glare at Link. "But you're going to need more men than that. Go to the guardhouse before you leave and recruit another five soldiers to go with you. You are dismissed."

     "Yes, your highness." He clicked his heels and bowed, and the rest of them followed suit. They then turned and marched off.

     "An early riser, I see?" Zelda goaded.

     "Always," replied Link with a smirk. "So what was this plan you were mentioning?"

     "Not in the hallway, come back into my chamber," she said. He followed her inside and they closed the door. There was no need to lock it, as no one in his right mind would barge in on the princess.

     "The quickest way to find Malon, or anyone for that matter, is to go to the Spirit Temple," Zelda said. Link looked puzzled, so Zelda decided to elaborate.

     "In the Spirit Temple, the life force of everyone in Hyrule can be sensed. You just need to know where to look."

     "I never knew that," Link said. "And I just spoke with Nabooru a few days ago!"

     "You did?" Zelda asked.

     "Yes. I asked her if the Gerudos would watch over Malon while I went to find her father."

     "Why didn't you say that earlier?" Zelda chastised him. "If you asked her to look after Malon, then she probably started doing so right away! She'll know where Malon is!"

     "Are you serious?" Link asked incredulously. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that.

     "I'll contact her now," Zelda said. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, contacting the Sage of Spirit. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes again, and she looked extremely worried.

     "Link…" her voice was shaky, and she sounded a little scared. "I can't reach her."

*          *            *

Whew! That took a while, didn't it? Well, fear not. I have developed a renewed interest in this story, and I want to see it continued as much as anyone else. The next one won't take nearly as long. Later!


	8. Chapter Eight

Author's Notes: There! I told you this one wouldn't take as long, didn't I? Well, not by comparison, anyway. Don't look at me like that! I was on vacation! Moving sideways, I also made a few changes to the previous chapter. Nothing major, just a few rewordings and fixed typos. I also went into greater detail regarding the Gerudos' sleeping garments. If you care about any of that, go check it out. If not, here we go with chapter eight. Not to sound cliché, but the plot thickens.

Malon's Quest, Chapter 8-By Illjwamh

     "What do you mean you can't reach her?" Link demanded. "How is that possible?"

     "I don't know," Zelda admitted. She sat down slowly on her bed, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. "It was like she wasn't even there."

     "Let me try," said Link. He pulled the Spirit Medallion that Nabooru had given him from its place on the inner side of his belt. Holding it in both hands out in front of him, he concentrated. The medallion began to levitate, as they all did when he used them to talk to the sages. He focused on Nabooru, but he too came up with nothing. It wasn't as if she couldn't hear him, or that she wasn't answering him, it was as if she wasn't there at all.

     "I can't reach her either," he told Zelda after he gave up. "You're right. It's as if she just disappeared."

     "What should we do?" Zelda asked. "This is serious!"

     Link thought for a moment, and then came up with a decision.

     "You go down into the archives like you were going to," he said. "I have a feeling this is all connected somehow anyway. I'll talk to Saria, and tell her to gather the other sages. They need to know about this. As for me, I'm going to the Spirit Temple to investigate. I can even look for Malon while I'm there."

     "Right. I'll make sure the castle guard is on special alert for anything unusual."

     Link chose not to make a comment regarding the competency of the castle guard, but rather wished Zelda luck, and said goodbye to her as she made off down to the archives. He exited her chamber after her, and headed in the opposite direction. He made his way down the main corridor and out the front gate. Once he was outside the castle, he pulled out his ocarina. He'd long since returned the Ocarina of Time to the hands of the royal family, but Saria had given him a new one, imbued with her sage powers. He used it to play her song and speak to her. It was easier and less draining than using the medallion. A few moments after finishing the song, he heard his friend's voice in his mind.

     "Link, what is it?" she asked him. It was obvious that she knew something was not right.

     "Saria, Nabooru is missing!" he told her right away.

     "What!? How?"

     "I'm not sure, but both Zelda and myself tried to contact her, and we couldn't even feel her essence!"

     "That's bad," Saria said. "Do you know what might have happened to her?" 

     "Well, there have been a lot of strange things going on lately. I think you should speak with the other sages and see what you all can turn up. You guys could probably observe events in Hyrule a lot better than I could."

     "Right! I need to go talk to Rauru right now! And Link…be careful."

     "What do you mean?" he asked.

     "I know you're planning on going out to the Desert Colossus. Just watch out for yourself, okay?"

     Link smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." With that, the connection was broken, and Link once again raised his ocarina to his lips. This time, he played the Requiem of Spirit.

*          *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *            *          

     Malon gulped. A glaive? She'd begun her training only a few minutes ago and they already wanted to give her a weapon? She watched nervously as Deruna ran over to a barrel containing several of the aforementioned long axes, took one out and tossed it to Mara, who then held it out to Malon.

     "This will be your standard and most basic weapon," the instructor said. "It is long and can be used for easy defense, is lightweight and easy to maneuver, and is quite effective for offensive movements as well." Malon took the weapon, and noticed that it was indeed much lighter than it looked. Mara explained that the shaft was made from desert wood, which resembled driftwood in that the elements stripped it down to make it very light, but at the same time strengthened its structure, making it very durable; ideal for any weapon.

     "Do you know how to hold it properly?" Mara asked. Malon had seen a few of the guards armed with these, and tried to imitate how they held it with both hands, dividing the staff into three sections. Mara only had to make one correction, and that was turning her right hand around so that her palm faced up while her left palm faced down. It took a minute or so before Malon was comfortable holding it, but Mara was patient. 

     "We'll start easy," Mara said, pulling a normal looking stick out of a crate sitting next to her. "I'm going to hold out this stick in front of me, and I want you to cut it in half. It's just a simple exercise to get you used to swinging the weapon."

     "But what if I miss and hit you?" Malon asked worriedly. Mara just grinned.

     "Don't worry. That won't be a problem at all."

     So Malon took a deep breath, pulled the glaive back and swung it down hard, aiming as best she could for the center of the stick.

*          *            *

     When Link opened his eyes again and found himself facing the daunting Desert Colossus, he was not pleased. Sand was strewn up all around him in a thickness that almost resembled a fog, and a chill wind blew, making sure that sand would not soon return to the ground. It was a rather eerie scene in a place that was usually calm, clear, and bordering on uncomfortably hot. He made up his mind to enter the Spirit Temple immediately, and seek out Nabooru in order to speak with her in person.

     The moment his foot left the sacred Triforce pedestal, it began to sink into the sand. He quickly pulled it back out and stood back on the pedestal, resolving to reassess the situation. By now he no longer thought something was wrong. He knew it.

     "I'm not liking this one bit," he said to himself. It was a habit that Navi had often chastised him over. "I haven't seen the desert like this since Ganondorf was in power. I really hope something hasn't happened to Nabooru."

     He prepared to make for the temple again, only this time he was going to hit it at a dead run. With the help of the light boots, he figured he should have little trouble skirting over the tempestuous sand. He started in the center of the pedestal so as to build up speed, and didn't stop running until he had reached the front entrance steps of the temple.

     Taking a moment to take off his boots and remove the sand that had accumulated in them during his brief run, Link looked up at the brilliantly carved sand goddess above him. The enormous idol looked as it always did, but for some reason it felt different to Link this day. It was something he couldn't put his finger on, but it was the same feeling he got from the unnaturally chill air surrounding him.

*          *            *

     "I'm starving!" Malon exclaimed as she and Deruna headed into the fortress common for breakfast. She had spent the past few hours familiarizing herself with the fine art of holding and swinging a glaive. While she at least felt comfortable handling the weapon now, she knew it was going to be quite some time before she was prepared to use it properly.

     "I'm not surprised!" Deruna said. "You trained harder than anyone I've ever seen on their first day. And it's only mid-morning!"

     "Let's just say I've got a lot of motivation," Malon said as she got her food and moved to sit down. Deruna was right behind her.

     "Yes, I've heard the story. I hope you don't think you'll be fit to go help your father after just a few days of training here."

     "No, of course not," Malon assured her. _'But I've got to think of something fast. Who knows what those barbarians are going to do to him?'_

     She hid her worries from Deruna by flashing a bright smile, and commenced eating her somewhat flavorless porridge.

     Later that day, Malon was back out in the training area with Mara and Deruna. They had been training for a couple of hours when Mara announced that it was nearing lunchtime.

     "This early?" Malon was surprised. Hadn't they just eaten breakfast? However, Mara was as usual one step ahead of her student and let it show with a classic Gerudo smirk.

     "You don't understand," she said. "We're going to catch our lunch today. Since you've never done it before, I thought I'd give you a head start so that you can hopefully catch something by the time we sit down to eat."

     Malon was a little offended at Mara's assumption that she'd never caught her own food before. She had hunted small game in the field with a bow and arrow many times since she was a child. She was in reality exceptionally good at it. When this dawned on her, her attitude changed to a smug one. She would surprise these two by showing them just how good at this she was. She grinned, but discreetly enough so that the two other Gerudo did not notice. She was so caught up in the idea of showing off that she almost didn't hear what Mara said next. Almost.

     "We'll be hunting on the plateau on top of that cliff over there," she said, pointing to a nearly sheer rock face a ways north of the fortress. "And we'll be using glaives, to test how much you've learned today." Malon swallowed hard. Any arrogance she'd worked up had just been utterly and completely smashed. She prepared herself for a long afternoon without food.

*          *            *

     Link entered the Spirit Temple, and the instant he did, his feeling of uneasiness grew rapidly. He felt cold. It wasn't the same cold as the wind outside created, but rather a deep, penetrating iciness felt from the inside out. What was worse, he couldn't sense Nabooru's presence inside the temple at all. Just as he and Zelda had observed at the castle, it was like she didn't even exist.

     The hero of time walked forward slowly, one step at a time. He gradually made his way toward the inner steps that would lead the way into the deeper section of the temple interior, and the two giant stone sentinels watching over it with their serpentine eyes. Ever so carefully, Link crept forward, until one step caused something to happen. A low rumbling echoed through the temple causing tiny bits of rock to fall on Link from the ceiling. This was only a minor annoyance. What really caught the young warrior's attention were the eyes of the two cobra statues. They were glowing a bright red, and moments later the ancient scripture written on the large, flat fronts of the statues vanished before his eyes.

*          *            *

    Malon looked up the cliff, and then at the rope in her hand. It had a large metal three-pronged hook at the end, and was quite long. Mara had said this is how they were going to scale the cliff.

     "You remember how I showed you to use the rope?" Mara asked.

     "Yes," Malon replied hesitantly.

     "Great! Then I'll see you at the top!" She took her rope, twirled the end around a few times, and then effortlessly lobbed it upward. The hook landed perfectly on the top of the cliff, and with a single tug to make sure the hold was good, Mara shot up the cliff. She didn't even place her feet on the rock. She climbed using solely her arms, and she seemed to go faster than Malon could walk.

     After a few moments of staring at her instructor in awe, Malon decided it was time to try it herself. She took hold of the end of the rope, and was prepared to attempt a throw when Deruna touched her on the shoulder.

     "Give a little bit more space between your hand and the hook," she said. "Like this." She demonstrated using her own rope. Malon followed her example, and then Deruna began twirling the hook, motioning for Malon to do the same.

     "Don't tense up your wrist, relax," Deruna advised her. "All right, we throw on three. Ready? One… two…three!" They both released their hooks, and Malon closed her eyes tight and made a silent prayer to the three goddesses that her throw would be on target. She was jolted out of this a moment later by Deruna nudging on her shoulder. 

     "Okay then, let's go!" She began climbing up her rope at a brisk pace, but Malon noticed that unlike Mara, Deruna did use her feet from time to time.

     "Are you coming or not?" 

     Malon shook her head to clear it and looked up at Deruna questioningly.

    "C'mon, Mara's probably already up there wondering what's taking us so long! Get a move on, will ya?"

     "You mean my rope made it?" Malon asked.

     "Don't sound so surprised. We showed you exactly how to do it, and you're not exactly out of shape or anything. You need more confidence in yourself. Now let's get going I'm starting to get a little hungry."

     Malon smiled and began the long climb, making sure to test the rope's stability first.

     "How high is this cliff?" Malon asked exhaustedly after they'd been climbing for seemingly forever.

     "We're nearly there. What's wrong? Are you tired?"

     Deruna was joking, but it didn't matter to Malon. In fact, she didn't hear any of what her friend had said at all. Her arms felt as if they were on fire, and her hands were sore from holding onto the rope for so long. She was out of breath, and was beginning to feel quite dizzy. As Deruna had observed, she was not exactly out of shape. All the work she did on the farm kept her in excellent physical condition, and she would normally have been able to handle this rope climb with only moderate difficulty. For some reason however, it now seemed impossible. Apparently the lack of sufficient food and sleep over the past several days was taking its toll on her. She could climb no more, and doubted she had the strength to even cling to the rope for much longer. She tried to call to Deruna for help, but found she hadn't even the strength for that. Malon closed her eyes and began to cry.

_*          *            *_

_     "Hi, my name's Malon. What's yours?" The strange little boy seemed hesitant to answer, but finally spoke in a nervous voice. _

_     "I-I'm Link."_

_     "And he's a little shy. It's almost embarrassing, really." Malon could hear the tiny voice, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then, she saw a bright light over the boy's, Link's, head. She knew right away what it was, for her father loved to tell her stories of such magical beings, but she never thought she'd actually get to see one. She was quite overjoyed._

_     "Wow! You have a fairy! You must be a fairy boy from the woods! Is that right?" The little boy nodded sheepishly, and Malon jumped for joy._

_     "I bet this is your first time in the city then, right? I thought you looked lost. The city's a big place and it's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. I'm waiting for my Papa to come back. He went to the castle to deliver some milk, but that was a long time ago. I was getting kind of lonely here all by myself. Hey! I know! Why don't I show you around town? It'll be fun, and I'll even buy you some lunch! You look really hungry! Come on, Fairy Boy! There's lots of places that…"_

_- - -_

_………_

_     "You can't feed them like that, you stupid bitch! We'll run out of corn after only a week!"  He hit her across the face again._

_     "But, Master Ingo, they're starving," she pleaded. He responded by hitting her again._

_     "Don't talk back to me, you little whore! You will feed the cuccos as I tell you to feed them, is that understood?" He moved to hit her again, but stopped when he heard footsteps coming up the path. The cruel ranch master threw her into the barn instead._

_     "Don't you make a sound, do you hear me? Or so help you, you'll live to regret it!" He then slammed the door and went out to meet whatever new visitor had arrived._

_     Malon looked out the window and saw Ingo talking to someone, but to whom she could not see. Whoever it was asked to buy some milk and food, and Ingo showed him inside the house. She then tried to sneak out of the stables so she could peek in the window without being noticed, and find out who their visitor was. No such luck. No sooner had she exited the stables, Ingo came right back out the door. He wasn't happy at all. He raised his arm to strike her, and she cringed for the blow but it never came.  She looked back up to find a young man in a green tunic holding Ingo's wrist, a stern expression on his face._

     "That's no way to treat a lady," the boy said. Then he looked at her, his expression changed to one of kindness and compassion. His eyes seemed so familiar to her somehow. "Are you all right, Miss?" he asked her.

_     She nodded weakly in her astonishment and choked out, "Yes, thank you." She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen this boy somewhere before. He was stunningly handsome, but in an eerily familiar sort of way. The young man then turned to speak again with Ingo, but not before flashing her a quick smile over his shoulder…_

- - -

_     …Malon waited all day for the young man to return as he had promised. She couldn't imagine what he was bringing for her, but it couldn't be better than saving her from Ingo the previous day. She was proven wrong however, when the young  man arrived at about noon with his promised surprise._

_     "Father!?" Malon ran to her father who jumped down off the horse to greet her. She gave him a huge hug, then turned to the boy. He was leaning against Epona with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face._

_     "Thank you so much!" she said to him. "But please, won't you tell me who you are?"_

_     The boy let out a little chuckle to accompany his smirk. "Come on, Malon. Don't tell me you don't recognize me. I even gave you an extra day to think about it."_

_     Her eyes went wide. "Fairy boy!?" He simply nodded and Navi flew out from under his hat. She ran to him and hugged him. "Oh, Link! Where did you go? I thought you were dead!" He laughed at that._

_     "I can't be gotten rid of that easily." _

- - -

_     "I'm still cold, Link," Malon said as she lay in her bed with a fire going and three blankets on top of her._

_     "Well, it was a magic arrow, so I imagine the effects will last a while," Link said._

_     "How long?" she was still shivering, and she felt like crying._

_     "I don't honestly know," he answered. Then he paused and seemed to be getting an idea. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but the best way to stay warm is from body heat."_

_     She look up at him, and couldn't help but feel on cloud nine at what he was suggesting. She knew how he felt about beds, but he was willing to do this, for her!_

_     "You don't have to," she said. "I know you can't stand beds."_

_     "Nonsense," he replied. "You need to get warm, that's all that matters to me right now. I won't hear another word about it." And with that, he removed his sword, his shield, and his boots, and climbed into bed next to her. _

_     She could tell he was a little bit uncomfortable, and that made the act so much more endearing. She smiled happily to herself and snuggled up to him as best she could. Although she was still very cold, she had never felt more content._

_     "Link?" she whispered._

_     "Yes?"_

_     "Thank you for saving me."_

_- - -_

_     Malon awoke before the sun rose, just as she had planned to. She felt Link still sleeping soundly next to her. She hugged his arms tightly around her one last time, and then eased out of his embrace. She stood up next to the bed and smiled down at him. _

     "I'm sorry Link," she whispered. "But I have to do this. And after you slept in a bed just for me, too." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Goodbye."

_*          *            *_

     Malon's dream ended as the last of her memories faded away. She opened her watery eyes to see the rope she could no longer hold just as her strength gave out.She whispered one final farewell as the last of her will power used itself up and her fingers let go of the rope.

     "Goodbye, Link…"

*          *            *

Well, that's over and done with! Sorry abut that, I though I'd be able to finish this one before I went on vacation, but no such luck. Anyway, it's here now. I hope you all enjoyed it, or at the very least weren't repulsed by it. I'll have the next one out soon, I promise.


	9. Chapter IX

Author's Notes: I have nothing to say this time, except that It took me awhile to make myself sit down and write this one. I knew exactly what I wanted to happen; I just never got around to typing it. You've probably grown to expect that from me by now anyway, right?

_     Malon's dream ended as the last of her memories faded away. She opened her watery eyes to see the rope she could no longer hold just as her strength gave out. She whispered one final farewell as the last of her will power used itself up and her fingers let go of the rope._

_     "Goodbye, Link…"_

Malon's Quest, Chapter 9- by Illjwamh

     "Gotcha!" Malon looked up to see Deruna had reached out and grabbed her wrist just as she had let go of the rope. The Gerudo now held her up while keeping one hand grasped firmly around her own rope.

     "Don't scare me like that!" Deruna said. "You've gotta be more careful up here. This is a really tough climb the first time up."

     Malon looked at her friend in disbelief. She had nearly plummeted to her death a moment ago, and now she was being scolded for it. She was about to say something to that effect when Deruna hoisted her up and told her to take hold of her rope again. She did so, but not without complaint.

     "That's it?" Malon demanded. "I just barely escaped dying and all you say is 'Be more careful,' and 'Grab the rope again'?"

     Deruna didn't seem taken aback at all. In fact, she looked downright calm.

     "Yeah, pretty much. We'd better hurry, Mara's probably been waiting for us for a while now." With that, she scurried up the rope before Malon even had a chance to reply. 

     Now the farm girl was mad. She clenched her teeth and tore up the rope after Deruna, intent on giving the insensitive thief a piece of her mind. Before she knew it, she was at the top, completely out of breath, and her two companions were sitting patiently, waiting for her.

     "Ah, good! You made it up!" Mara exclaimed. "And in a pretty good amount of time, too."

     "Now hold on just a second!" Malon screamed. She'd caught her breath and was now going to let these two have it.

     Mara's face took on a look of understanding all of a sudden. Malon's tone and expression told her all too well what had happened.

     "She almost fell, didn't she?" she asked Deruna. Malon's tirade stopped immediately.

     "Yep. It's a good thing I noticed her when I did, too." This time Deruna managed to sound like she actually cared, which was quite a contrast from before. Mara looked back to her new student.

     "Don't worry about it," she said. "Everyone struggles the first time they climb up here, and it's hot and you haven't been getting much sleep. It's completely understandable." Malon blinked.

     "You two sure are acting like this isn't a big deal. I almost died!" 

     "But you didn't," Mara pointed out. "And look! You made it to the top just fine."

     Malon stopped in her tracks again. She hadn't thought about that part.

     "Now you just sit down and rest for a minute," Mara continued,  "and then we'll get back to the reason we're up here. That climb always makes me hungry." She unslung her canteen from her shoulder and tossed it to Malon. "Take a drink of that, too. Some water'll do you good. I'm guessing you got pretty dizzy."

     Malon silently did as she was told, and looked on in awe at the two Gerudos as she gulped down the water. Who _were_ these women?

*          *            *

     "I don't think I like this," Link said to himself as he struggled to keep his balance while the rumbling increased all around him. He had both his sword and his shield drawn, but he doubted they would be of any assistance to him in the current situation. Then, without warning, the floor began to crumble beneath him. Link barely had time to register what was happening before he plunged down through the stones he'd believed to be a solid base.

     A moment later, he felt smooth stone against his back, and his trajectory changed ever so slightly so that he was no longer plummeting straight down. Evidently, he was sliding down a long passageway of some sort. Its purpose was something he could only guess at, for he hadn't even known of its existence before.

     After a rather long slide, he reached the end of the tunnel, and came reeling out of a hole in the ceiling of an underground room. After the initial shock of hitting the floor wore off, he stood up and took a look around.

     That proved to be a futile gesture however, as the room was almost completely black. He could barely make out his own hand in front of his face. It was times like these when he missed Navi most of all. The fairy's light could penetrate even the thickest darkness and allow him to see. Many of his undertakings would have been impossible without the illumination she provided. He was considering using the ocarina to return to the entrance of the temple when he saw a light appear on the far side of the room. It looked to be the flame of a torch, but what startled Link the most was when it spoke.

     "Who is it?" It spoke not to him, but rather it seemed to be speaking to itself. "Who comes down here to disturb us? Look familiar, you do." 

     "Yes, we have seen him before." Link jumped three feet in the air. There behind him, close enough to lean over his shoulder, was an icy blue flame above a glowing set of eyes. It took a moment, but Link suddenly remembered where and when he had seen those eyes before.

     "Can it be, Kotake?" The flame on the far side asked. It was rapidly approaching Link's position, and he could see an identical pair of eyes underneath it.

     "I do believe it is, Koume. It's than young man who bested us and brought our destruction. You remember, back in the days of Ganondorf?"

     "Of course I remember! It was only two years ago!" snapped Koume, now as close to Link as her sister was. They began circling around him and as they did, more light seemed to fill the room so that the hero could make out their whole forms, broomsticks and all. He also noted the glowing yellow rings above their heads.

     "Ah, so it was. Time flows so strangely down here."

     "Too true, too true. But what, I ask, is the young lad doing here in our resting place?"

     "That is the question to be asked. He didn't even ask our permission!"

     "Yes, so rude!"

     "Do you think he has to do with what is troubling the great king?"

     "It might be, it might be. Ask him, Kotake, ask him."

     "Very well, if I must." The icy witch turned her gaze on Link as the two sisters continued to slowly circle him on their brooms.

     "Why have you come down here?" Kotake asked him. "Do you not know that we wish to be left alone?"

     "Are you what troubles the great king?" Koume prodded further. "Tell us at once and leave this place, or stay forever!"

     Link stood his ground with confidence. He didn't really know how powerful the witches were, especially with them being dead, but he knew from experience that he could handle them if he needed to.

     "I'm looking for the sage Nabooru," he said.

     "Ah, the girl!" Koume said. "We remember her as well!"  
     "Terrible thing that Ganondorf did to her, terrible thing."

     "As I remember it, it was the two of you who took control of Nabooru," Link chided them.

     "Ah yes, you tell the truth," Kotake said. "But did it for Ganondorf, we did."

     "Indeed, when one raises a king from youth, one has a certain fondness for him, no matter how wicked he may be." Link was taken aback.

     "You two raised Ganondorf?"

     "Of course!" Kotake declared proudly. "Only the best and most powerful are fit to raise the Gerudo King!"

     "Kotake, we must remember what we're asking him," Koume said. "We must stay focused."

     "I am focused, you old fool! Be quiet!"

     "How dare you! If I remember, it was I who made the decisions when we were alive!" Koume shouted.

     "Which is probably why we aren't anymore!" Kotake shot back.

     "Excuse me!" Link interrupted them. They stopped arguing and looked at him. "Do either of you know where Nabooru is?"

     The two witches looked at each other, and seemed to be debating whether or not to tell him anything. Finally, they looked back at him and Kotake spoke.

     "You won't find her up there, or down here, most likely."

     "Darkness has befallen the temple once again. The sage is trying to destroy it." 

     "You must go that way," they pointed, and a corridor was illuminated on the far left side of the room.

     "If you survive, you may see the sage again. If you don't, you will see us."

     The two witches spun around on their brooms and disappeared, leaving one final call.

     "Don't tell him we sent you!"

*          *            *

     "Are you sure there are animals up here?" Malon asked. She'd lost track of how long they'd been hunting, and she was beginning to get very hungry.

     "I wouldn't have brought us here if there weren't," Mara said. Malon wasn't so sure if that was the truth or not, but she kept quiet about it.

     "Don't worry," Deruna reassured her. "Even if we don't catch anything, I brought up some food just in case. We wouldn't want you to almost pass out again on the way back down, would we?" Malon managed a weak smile of gratitude. "Just don't tell Mara, okay?"

     The other result of this endless walking was that it gave Malon time to think, and evidently she had more to think about than she'd previously imagined. Why had she only thought of Link when she fell? Of course she would miss him, but what about her father? What about Epona? What about everyone else who cared about her and that she would miss? She felt guilty that the thought of her father not being rescued never once entered her head, and that was supposed to be what she was here for. 

     Furthermore, what did this mean about her relationship with Link? She'd always been fond of him, and even attracted to him, but she never allowed herself to think of it as anything more than childish infatuation. Was there more? Were her feelings for the young hero deeper than even she herself realized? She really wished she hadn't run out on him. She felt incredibly guilty about it. After all, he was probably worried sick about her, and all she could think about was how much she wished he were there with her right then. It was incredibly selfish, she told herself.

     "Malon?" The farm girl shook her head to clear it when she heard her friend call her name. Deruna was looking at her, a rather confused expression on her face.

     "Hmm?" was the only response she gave at first.

     "Are you awake? I've tried to ask you a question three times, and you're just staring off into space."

     "Oh, sorry," Malon blushed. "I was just thinking about a few things. What did you want to ask me?"

     "Why are you _really_ here?"

     "What do you mean? I'm here so I can-"

     "I know, I know, so you can save your father. But Mal, you could've asked Link to do it for you. Hell, from what I've heard he was about to anyway. Why not let him?" Malon was hesitant to answer.

     "Because…because I've always wanted to go out into the world an experience it for myself. All I've ever done is work on a ranch and deliver milk to the different villages. I wanted something more, and Link promised he's help me. But then my father was taken away, and when I told Link I wanted to go with him he said no. So I left without him. Looking back, I really wish I hadn't. I hope he isn't angry with me."

     "Look Malon, I'm not going to lie to you. Running out on him like that wasn't the best idea. But I don't think you have to worry about him being angry with you. He's probably just really worried. I've never gotten the chance to meet him myself, but I've heard all the stories about him. I don't think he's the type to hold a grudge. Besides, you said the two of you were close friends, right?"

     Malon nodded sheepishly.

     "Well then you've got nothing to be afraid of. No Gerudo would ever refuse to forgive a close friend when they show real regret. And as I've said, he's one of the greatest of all of us."

     Even though the talk was short, Malon felt a lot better. She decide to get as much out of her training as she possibly could, so Link would be proud of her when she finally went home.

*          *            *

     Zelda sighed out of exasperation. The castle archives were huge and to top it off, she wasn't even sure what it was exactly she was supposed to be looking for. The only two leads she had were stalchilds and Nabooru's disappearance, and those weren't much to go on.

     "I wish Impa were still here," the princess lamented. "This search would be much easier if she was helping."

     She placed the scroll she'd just finished inspecting back in its place and pulled out another one. After a brief look her mood changed drastically and a triumphant smile appeared on her face. The scroll began, "Stalchilds are believed to be the cursed undead spirits of fallen warriors who…"

*          *            *

     It was getting late, and the three women still hadn't found anything to eat. Malon was really starting to feel the effects of hunger.

     "Do you think we'll be able to find anything before dark?" she asked her two companions.

     "Well I certainly hope so," Mara said, coming to a stop and turning around to face the other two. She rested the butt of her glaive on the ground as if it were a walking staff.

     "What do you mean by that, Mara?" Deruna asked.

     "What I mean is we should have caught something, eaten it, and returned to the fortress by now. This is strange. I've never seen it so barren up here. Well once, but that was several years ago."

     "I don't like the sound of that," Malon said. "I don't think I could manage the climb back down on an empty stomach."  
     "Don't worry," Mara reassured her. "If it comes to that, you ca nit the rations that Deruna brought with her."  Deruna immediately looked ashamed.

     "H-how did you know about that?" 

     Mara simply laughed. "What kind of poor excuse for a thief do you take me for?" she asked jokingly. "I could smell that food from the moment we set out."

     "Hehe… I guess next time I should-" she stopped herself in mid sentence and brought her glaive up to a defensive position. Malon instinctively followed suit.

     "What is it?" the farm girl asked nervously.

     "Malon," Deruna said cautiously, "turn around very slowly." Malon did as she was told, and let out a quick shriek when she saw what Deruna was looking at. There, only a few feet away from her, was a very large serpent with a hood on its neck, long front fangs and narrow eyes reared up in an attack position.

     "Wh-what is that?" Malon whispered.

     "It's a desert cobra," Deruna whispered back. "Its venom is extremely deadly, and it's very quick."

     "Malon, don't move," Mara warned. She was silently sneaking up on the snake from behind. "Any sudden movements may cause it to attack."

     The warning was unnecessary however, as Malon was almost petrified with fear. She watched as the serpent slithered ever so slowly nearer, and as Mara stealthily crept up on it from the rear. She watched as Mara raised her glaive to strike the viper, and how it chose that exact moment to lunge.

     "AAA!" Malon screamed in terror and clinched her eyes shut. Without even realizing what she was doing, she swung out wither glaive, and then awaited the pang of the cobra's venom. However, the bite never came. Malon carefully opened her eyes to see a very unexpected site. There lay the cobra on the ground, a foot or so away from its head. And there lay its blood, still dripping red from the blade of Malon's weapon. 

     Malon stood speechless, unable to believe what she had just done. Mara was the first to speak.

     "Well congratulations Malon, you've just caught your dinner!" 

*          *            *

     Link wandered aimlessly down the dimly lit corridor, not exactly sure where he was going or what he was about to find. The apparitions he'd just spoken to had left him ready for anything however.

     As he rounded another bend, he could just make out in the faint light expanding walls in the distance. He was approaching a chamber. He quickened his step, excited at the prospect of actually getting somewhere, and didn't stop until he reached the threshold of the cavernous room. 

     It was only when he looked on from the entrance did Link realize just how big the room was. It was easily the size of the King Dodongo's cave from all those years ago. There were torches burning at even intervals along the walls, and in the center there appeared to be a massive erection of some sort. From the feel of the room, it looked like an altar, but based on what the witches had told him, Link guessed that it was more likely a tomb.

     Deciding not to hesitate any longer, Link took a step into the room and immediately regretted it. The second his foot touched the floor, a chill gust of air blew from nowhere and extinguished all the torches, bathing the hero in darkness. He could hear a faint sound that resembled a soft whistle, and then he saw a tiny bit of light emanating from the altar at the center of the room. When Link looked to find the source of this light, he froze in horror. For there, out of what was now without a doubt a tomb, rose a ghostly image that Link prayed daily he'd never have to see again.

BOOM! That's the end for today. I really pushed on the end, because Friday was my birthday and I wanted to have a gift for all of you. Eh, so it's a little late. School's here now, so I have even more things on my schedule. I'll get to this though, I never leave a story unfinished.


	10. Chapter No 10

Author's Notes: I have a better idea than ever before of where I'm going with this story. Don't get me wrong; I always knew how it was going to end. However, I didn't have much of an idea of what to do for the middle. I know all that now, and I've worked out a few more details regarding the end as well. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It should be fairly long, but I'm not entirely sure on that yet. (I write my beginning notes before I start writing, and my ending notes right before I upload. Sometimes they don't have much to do with each other.)

Malon's Quest – Chapter 10

     "I've never eaten snake before," Malon said to her two companions as they made their way back down the cliff in the darkness of late evening. "It was actually pretty good." This climb down wasn't nearly as difficult as the earlier climb up.

     "Desert cobras are a delicacy out here," Mara told her. "It's not often that we get to eat one. Thanks for catching it for us."

     "You see?" Deruna teased. "And you were worried you would have a tough time. And here on your first big training exercise you manage to kill yourself a deadly serpent. Congratulations!"

     "Well I'm just glad to be getting down off that plateau," Malon said. "It was so quiet and empty up there. It gave me the creeps."

     "Me too," Mara's voice took on a much more serious tone. "I haven't seen it like that since Ganondorf was in power. It's not natural."

     "Don't go saying stuff like that," Deruna pleaded. She sounded even more worried than Mara. 

     Malon felt it was slightly her fault for shifting the discussion in this direction. "I'm sorry if I brought up anything…"

     "No, you didn't do anything Malon," Mara assured her. "It's just something we'd all really like to forget. Remember, we Gerudos were closer to the situation than anybody else."

     Malon had forgotten that part. She didn't know what to say to fix the situation, so she remained quiet. The remainder of the descent down the cliff was passed in silence. When they finally did touch back down, Deruna and Malon went off to their quarters while Mara went off to speak with Sarina about the state of affairs on the plateau. She looked extremely troubled. The two girls were halfway back to the fortress before conversation finally broke out again.

     "This is creepy," Deruna said. "I knew it was odd that there weren't many creatures up there, but I didn't really think it was such a big deal. I haven't seen Mara this worried in a long time."

     "You don't really think that…that Ganondorf might be coming back, do you? I thought Link killed him."

     "Well I don't know if that's the exact problem or not, but you have to understand that this is a very sensitive subject for a lot of Gerudos."

     "How do you mean?"

     "Well," Deruna checked around her before continuing, as if making sure no one was listening in on their discussion. "The thing is, when Ganondorf was in power…not all of us were happy with it. We all did what he said of course; he was our king. But when he was defeated…a lot of people weren't too upset about it, if you know what I mean. We were pretty vocal about our feelings, too. If he ever came back, not only would the world have to deal with his evil again – which is bad enough in itself – those of us who weren't truly loyal to him are going to be in a lot of trouble." Malon could see that her friend was quite shaken up, and was even nearing the point of shuddering as she approached the end of her explanation. They had reached the fortress by this point, and began navigating the corridors that lead to their quarters.

     "So, there are some Gerudo that are still loyal to Ganondorf?" Malon asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

     "No!" Deruna answered quickly. "I think that out of all of us, there can't be any more than two who totally agreed with what Ganondorf was doing. The issue is loyalty. Remember how I said that we did what he said because he was king, even though we may not have liked it?"

     "Mm-hmm."

     "Well there are some who take that a step further. They did what he said because he was king, and they liked it because he was king. It's what we're supposed to do: follow the lead of our ruler. They felt that even in death, a king should not be spoken against because in the end he was still the king. Can you understand?"

     "I'm a little lost," Malon admitted, "But I get the basic idea." By this time they had arrived at their bedchambers, and Malon swung open the narrow wooden door for her roommate. 

     "So you see that whether he really is coming back or not, it's still a really touchy subject." All Malon could do was nod.

     "Well I'm tired of talking about that," Deruna declared as she flopped down on her bed and began to change. "Let's just go to sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow we'll pretend we never spoke of it."

     Malon smiled. "Sure." She too began to change. They were both exhausted, so the transition to bed was a hurried one. As Malon blew out the last torch and laid her head down, she could hear Deruna muttering to herself as she drifted off to sleep. 

     "Sarina will know what to do."

*          *            *

     Link gaped in horror at the figure that rose up in front of him. For a large portion of his life, he'd had nightmares about what he was currently seeing. He'd thought he'd finally put an end to it two years ago, when the king of evil had fallen at his feet and the sages sealed him in the dark world. However, his eyes told him otherwise as the specter before him reached its full height and gazed down upon him with its ghostly eyes. 

     Even though it had been two years, Link remembered everything about his adversary exactly. That tattered red robe, that black armor, and that evil, twisted grin. The latter was not apparent at the moment, as the ghost's face was still slightly blurred. Even so, the desert king's eyes were glowing red with what Link could only guess was anger and hatred. Almost unaware of what he was doing, Link slowly reached behind him with both arms to retrieve his sword and shield. He was moving so slowly it was as if he didn't want his enemy to see his motions, and he still couldn't look away from its horrible face, or even close his terror-struck mouth.

     When Link's hands finally made contact with his weapons, he closed his mouth and gripped them tightly. Then, with a gulp, he began pulling them out, moving almost as slowly as before. The ghost seemed to be waiting for him or some such thing, because it didn't move an inch, did not alter its gaze, and did not speak a word until Link was fully set into a defensive battle position.

     Then, without warning, it spoke. It's voice was deep, and the way it reverberated off the walls of the chamber made a cold shiver run up Link's spine.

     "Who are you who so boldly and foolishly desecrates my final resting place?"

     The question startled Link in more ways than one. Didn't the spirit recognize him? And furthermore, the voice didn't sound the way Link remembered. 

     Whatever apparition it was, it was evidently growing impatient without an answer to its question. Its eyes glowed brighter n fury with such sudden intensity that Link had to squint and its voice thundered even more horribly than before.

     "I have asked you a question!" the ghost bellowed. "And you will answer it! NOW!" The room seemed to shake as the ghost issued the end of its command.

     Shaken and still nervous, but less afraid because he was no sure the ghost was not of Ganondrof, Link opened his mouth to speak. He made an extra effort to ensure that his voice reflected the confidence that should be expected from the hero of time.

     "My name is Link," he said boldly. "I have come here n search of Nabooru, and to find an answer to a question."

     "What question might this be?" the ghost sounded far less angry this time, and indeed almost intrigued.

     "Not so fast," Link declared. He now felt as confident as his voice let on. "I told you my name, now you must tell me yours."

     The ghost seemed to ponder the statement for a moment, and the laughed. The laugh, like the ghost itself, was reminiscent of Ganondorf, but held less evil and more sardonic amusement.

     "A mortal such as yourself is in no position to make such a bold demand. However, you amuse me, so I shall humor you for the time being. I am Throntolu, first great king of the Gerudo."

     Link's eyes shot wide open and for the first time since entering the chamber he dropped his guard. The ancient king chuckled a bit at the hero's reaction, but his good humor seemed to end there.

     "Now that I have obliged you, you will once again answer my questions. What is this question you wish to ask the sage, and why are you looking for her in _my tomb_?" The chamber once again shook, and Link had to focus to keep his balance.

     "I came to the temple to find Nabooru because I could not make contact with her. When I arrived, a trap door opened underneath my feet. I met the two witches, and they sent me on through here." Link found he had reverted to the formal tone he always used when he was speaking to the royal family.

     The dead king's temper died again.

     "The witches sent you, you say? I see. So they feel it too. And so do you, I imagine, or you would not have come." Link remembered the witches saying that the king was upset about something, but not saying what it was.

     "What is it that you speak of?" he asked.

     "Ah, so it is yet too indistinct for one such as yourself to identify it, but I have felt it for some time now. There is a great darkness befalling the land of Hyrule, and it is of my own bloodline. I have felt it before, but not nearly so potent as it has now become."

     "You mean Ganondorf?" Link asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

     "Nay! This evil is not of the mortal realm; it comes from beyond. The mighty king of evil has left it in his wake, and without him it grows unchecked. It's existence is also the reason I am unable to sleep. I have been drawn back to this world against my will."

     "So was it you who was blocking my contact with Nabooru?" Throntolu's ghost looked down at Link in a moment of anger which quickly subsided.

     "You confuse me with my descendants," he said. "No, it was not I who cut off this temple from the outside world. The sage is also a Gerudo and feels what I do. She knows I am awake, and has for some time."

     "So where is she?" Link asked.

     "Alas, I do not know," said the ancient king. "I imagine she is attempting to deal with the evil that has encompassed this temple. Unfortunately, I cannot say for certain."

     "Thank you," Link bowed his head. "I now know where I must go." He put away his sword and shield and started to leave, but the ghost cried out again.

     "Halt!" Link turned back to face the ghost, not liking the tone it was using.

     "The evil has awakened me, but it has also infected me. You who have besmirched my resting place, you will not be allowed to leave!" The ghost then slowly began gathering energy toward itself, causing the chamber to shake worse than ever, to the extent that small stones were falling from the ceiling. Shocked but not daunted, Link drew a light arrow from his quiver. He then summoned his fairy bow, as only one who has been taught by the fairies themselves can do. Link remembered the purging effects of the light arrows. As Throntolu was already dead, the arrow would not kill him, but rather rid him of the evil that tainted him. The young hero calmly pulled the arrow back, took aim, and let fly. It made contact with the ancient spirit just as larger racks were beginning to fall. The old king let out a great cry, and then ceased in his struggles. Hanging in the air with no remaining desire to do harm, the ghost looked up at Link through the falling debris.

     "Thank you, young warrior. I now may rest in peace. I pray you will find a way to undo the evil my bloodline has brought into the world. Fly now, lest you be buried here for eternity alongside me." With those final words, the ghost of the first Gerudo king sank back into the tombstone from whence he came. Link quickly placed the bow over his shoulder and didn't even notice it disappear again as he turned and fled back in the direction of the witches' chamber.

     Faster and faster he ran, taking note that the tunnel seemed much shorter when he'd gone down it the first time. The dead king's words rang in his ears, and he knew he would be staying down here if he didn't reach his destination quickly. As he ran, a strange sense of déjà vu took over him, but he couldn't' place it. After what seemed like forever, he saw the archway that was the door to the witches' tomb. His eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, so it didn't seem so inky black as it had before. Still, he had to get to the other side of the room and somehow find a way up the chute he'd fallen through. He wasn't out yet.

     As he passed through the door into the large chamber, Link cried out in pain as a rock the size of his head fell from the ceiling and struck him in the back of the neck. It knocked him down only for a moment, and as he struggled back to his feet, it hit him when he'd experienced this before. Only this time, he had to go up instead of down, and Zelda wasn't around to help him. 

     The hero of time pushed forward through the collapsing underground cavern, ignoring the great pain in the back of his head. He slid to a halt under the long chute that lead down from the trap door, possessing no idea whatsoever on how he was supposed to get back up through it. Had it been a vertical drop, he might have used his hookshot. As it was, he couldn't see the top no matter what angle he looked from. He reached behind his shield for his scroll, resolving to try it anyway. As he traced his finger over the image of the hookshot and prepared to summon it, cursing himself for not leaving the vital tool on the back of his belt as he usually did, he heard an unsettling sound above him. The ceiling was cracking around the bas of the chute. Before Link had time to react or even gasp out in shock, a huge chunk of rock broke off and slammed into the ground right in front of him. 

     The ensuing shockwave sent Link flying backward with a start, causing him to lose his grip on the scroll in his hand. He landed with a thud in a pile of rubble. He tried to get up, but found that more rocks had already landed on him and were continuing to do so. Wildly, he looked around for his scroll, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked over to where he imagined the chute to be, but saw only dust and more falling debris. Another rock hit him in the head and he started to feel dizzy; the room spun and his eyes rolled back in his head, and there was no way out.

*          *            *

Well that's it. This chapter was longer, but that ending just seemed to be such a logical ending point. So yeah, sorry for the short chapter. On the bright side, the rest of this is now being put into chapter eleven, which means that's almost done. And, I'm out of school for the holidays. That means more time to write. Cool, huh? I'm gonna go now, cuz I'm getting hungry. Later!


End file.
